Abstract
I CAN confirm that the method of mucous cord feeding referred to by Dodd1 plays a part in the natural lives of tadpoles of Rana temporaria, Bufo bufo and Bombina variegata living under natural or semi-natural conditions. It is, however, remarkable that among the many tadpoles which have been examined, definite mucous cords have been seen in only a few. The animals appear to use this method when in the presence of fine particles; but seem to have another means of dealing with the coarse material which so often forms their food. Whole Daphnia, insect larvæ or spiders are not uncommon constituents of the food, and much exceed the diameter of the cords.
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Dodd, J. M., Nature, 165, 283 (1950).
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SAVAGE, R. Feeding Mechanisms in Anuran Tadpoles. Nature 166, 155 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1038/166155a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/166155a0
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