question about wierd little fish tadpole tings i found in a a bucket in my yard?

Question

i left a bucket of water ooutside for my dos and a couple days later there are all these little black swimming things...and im positive that they are alive...(there not dirt or anything) and i want to know what they are and how they go there...thanks!

Answer 1

This sounds like mosquito larvae. Do they come up to the surface and hang there periodically, then swim back down it the bucket or water is disturbed? That would seem to confirm it.

Photo of a larva: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~aliciaellis/larvae.jpg

Photo after it becomes a pupa: http://www.pinellascounty.org/PublicWorks/mosquito/images/mosquito-05.jpg

Answer 2

If they are not toad tadpoles they could be mosquito larvae. Is it a tall bucket if so not likely to be tadpoles as the toads would have a problem getting in and out to lay and fertilize the eggs, also the time frame appears to be a bit short. Bet its mosquito's. They are black worm like things that can be found suspended from the top layer of the water.

Answer 3

They could be tadpoles or Mosquito larvae. Either way, don't let your dogs drink out of that water. If they are tadpoles, a pregnant frog hopped into the bucket, and let loose. Mosquitoes are fairly obvious in how they got there.

Nosoop4u

Answer 4

I'm willing to bet that they're mosquito larvae!
Here's a photo of Mosquito larvae (sometimes called "wigglers") from the web site for the Centers for Disease Control:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/wigglers.htm

Answer 5

Sounds like some sort of larve and it forms naturally in water left outside.

Answer 6

do they have really big heads and small tails?
do you hear frogs croaking outside your house sometimes?