Скачать или смотреть A massive tadpole discovered with a hormonal imbalance that prevented it from developing into a frog

The main reason behind this strange case is a lack of thyroid hormones. These hormones play a crucial role in a tadpole's transformation, helping it develop legs, lose its tail, and switch from breathing underwater to breathing air. Without enough thyroid hormones, the tadpole's body stays stuck in its aquatic phase, continuing to grow but never completing the change.

Since the tadpole didn't transform, it kept growing larger than usual. Normally, tadpoles only stay in their larval stage for a few weeks or months, but this one kept living and eating, reaching an impressive size. Researchers believe its environment and diet helped it survive longer than expected.

The legless, water-bound tadpoles usually slowly metamorphose into frogs over the next 14 weeks. The tadpole's tails shrink away and skin grows over their gills. Amazingly, tadpoles are able to control the timing of their transformation. If they're living in a dangerous environment, they will metamorphose more quickly.

This giant tadpole was kept alive and it now has it's own display at American Museum of Natural History's Southwestern Research Station.