Tadpole Exchange Program - Tadpoles Wanted!

How it Works 

• If you have excess tadpoles to give away or you would like some tadpoles, please contact us and we'll add you to our tadpole database.
• When tadpoles area available, we will notify people in that area.
• It is then up to the individuals to arrange a time to pick up their tadpoles.
• This is a great time for the recipients to 'talk taddy' with people who have had successful frog ponds to learn some frog-friendly gardening tips.

 Important things to remember: 

• The NUMBER 1 rule of the program is to not transport tadpoles very far from where their parents are from. This is to minimise the risk of spreading diseases and also avoids transporting species outside their natural range where they won't be able to cope with the new environmental conditions. Rules of thumb are: Transport of tadpoles no more than three suburbs away on the Swan Coastal Plain and two suburbs away in the Hills. No tadpoles to be transported from the Coastal Plain to the Hills or vice-versa as these areas have different species of frogs.​​
• To capture tadpoles, use a large net (available from fish shops) to scoop them up carefully.​​
• Tadpoles often hang around the edge of ponds, so target these areas and be quick with your net! Carefully running the net in the deeper areas of the pond can also work, but be careful to not damage submerged plants and don't fall in!​​
• Put tadpoles in clean or new buckets or large plastic freezer bags as you would do for transporting aquarium fish from the pet shop.​​
• Never leave tadpoles in a car or in direct sunlight (just like your kids and the dog!).​​
• Transfer tadpoles to the new pond right away. Large number of tadpoles in a small container will quickly foul the water putting all the tadpoles at risk.​​
• From 10-50 tadpoles will be sufficient to seed a new pond, so long as your neighbour can spare them. But the more tadpoles, the more likely some will metamorphose in to frogs that will eventually become the resident breeding adults in your backyard.​​
• Most tadpoles in the program are Motorbike Frog and Slender Tree Frog tadpoles, with occasionally Banjo Frogs and Bleating or Squelching Froglets for more advanced gardens.