Reposted from @sciencethegap Southern Leopard Frog tadpole entering metamorphosis from a recent @AmphibianFoundation survey in south Georgia. Metamorphs are so weird. Their large hindlimbs prevent good tadpole wiggly swimming because of the drag they cause. Their tail prevents good frog jumping. All this occurs while they are remodeling their guts to shift from a plant diet to an animal-based diet. So metamorphs are kind of bad at everything and natural selection has minimized the duration of this awkward phase. Life lesson: if you have to suck at everything, spend as little time in that stage as possible.⠀ ⠀ #SouthernLeopardFrog #Lithobatessphenocephalus #Ranasphenocephalus #Lithobates #Rana #LeopardFrog #Frog #Frogsofinstagram #tadpole #babyanimals #metamorphosis #lifecycle #Amphibian #amphibiansofinstagram #naturephotography #earthcapture #nikonphotography #conservation #wildlife #nature #herpetology #biology #ecology #Georgiawildlife #biodiversity #animals #AmphibianFoundation #amphibiousAF #🐸#lifeishard (at The Amphibian Foundation) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAAmBhcAYx9/?igshid=1g85x2yi6nroj
