Rare albino tadpoles signal an unusual discovery

14 May 2008: Albino tadpoles have been discovered in a garden in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Froglife have called the finding highly unusual because at least four separate blobs of albino spawn were found deposited in the pond, signalling what could be a significant population of frogs carrying the rare recessive gene for albinism.

Though no adult albino frogs were seen, their frogspawn and tadpoles are reportedly doing very well as photos from their Carmarthenshire garden show.

The tadpoles have the characteristic pink eyes and off-white skin colouration.

The location of the pond is to be kept secret while further research is undertaken.

Albino individuals of adult frogs, toads and newts have been reported in the past, though sightings are considered very rare. Cases of multiple albinistic individuals in a breeding population are even rarer.

The sighting was reported to Froglife’s Wildlife Information Service – a public advice service encouraging people to get involved with amphibian and reptile conservation. Froglife receive over 3,000 enquiries each year – many of them to do with unusual amphibian observations discovered in gardens.

“This is certainly one of the stranger enquiries we’ve had recently,” said Lucy Benyon, Froglife’s Wildlife Information Officer. “What’s unusual about this is that the batches of white tadpoles suggest that a number of adults that carry genes for albinism possibly exist in the area, not just one.”

“Usually though albino amphibians fail to live to a breeding age – their white colouration makes them a blindingly conspicuous beacon for the various animals that depend on frogs for food.” she added.

Further research into the multiple cases of albino tadpoles will be looked into over coming months.

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