A froglet has only a little more development to go before it can be considered a fully-grown adult frog. At this point the froglet is about 12 weeks old, has a functioning pair of arms and legs, but still has a tail and is not at adult size. Inside, the young frog's body is still changing, growing a full set of lungs and adapting to a new, insectivorous diet.

Do Froglets Live on Land or in the Water?

For the first time in their lives, froglets are able to leave the water for short periods of time. Although they may still have a little difficulty breathing, they will spend more and more time out of the water practicing being an adult. This means learning how to navigate with their new arms and legs, hop, croak and even catch food!

However, froglets are still juveniles and will spend the majority of their time in the water until they are adults. Some species of frogs never leave the water at all, and some may return for a good swim occasionally, but an adult frog usually only enters the water to lay more eggs.

What do Froglets Eat?

Froglets are still a tempting treat for fish, birds and snakes, and they face even more perils when they venture onto land. There are plenty of mammals and other birds willing to scoop up a small froglet, such as foxes, shrews and hawks.

Froglets themselves quickly adapt to their new role in the ecosystem as mid-level predators. Tadpoles have a long digestive system to help grab every nutrient they can from algae, but froglets have a much shorter system to accommodate their carnivorous appetites. They begin to use their long, sticky tongues to grab insects and other bugs out of the air. A froglet's mouth and tongue are still growing, so an older froglet will be much better at hunting than a young one. Their common prey are flies, spiders, butterflies, worms, crickets, grasshoppers and anything else that looks like it will fit into their mouth!

When Does a Froglet Become a Frog?

The actual time it takes a froglet to complete its transformation into an adult frog depends on food availability and species. Most are fully grown by 16 weeks of age. This is marked by the froglet reaching its adult size, being able to stay out of the water indefinitely and a complete lack of a tail. The energy absorbed from the tail is used as a final push to develop the froglet's legs, which it will need to hunt and escape predators as an adult.

By this stage in the life cycle of a frog, the froglet has cut ties with its siblings and is prepared to make it on its own. It will still have a few more months to grow and get the hang of being a fully-fledged frog before mating season.