Unique behaviors between mobs aren’t exclusive to a single one. However, certain ones are especially interesting. One such being the interaction between frogs and tadpoles. Tadpoles will turn into frogs later, they are quite different from them though. Let’s check the overview of the Minecraft tadpole.
Tadpole
Before there’s a frog, there will be a tadpole. These larval forms of the frog mob count as separate entities in the Minecraft’s code. This is due to their overall behavior which does differ from the frog. Additionally, their appearance is wildly different than that of a frog, being tiny and simple with a little body and a small tail.
The tadpoles do not spawn nor are they generated by the world. Instead, they need to be hatched from frogspawn. The frogspawn itself has a special set of rules that need to be fulfilled before it can appear.
Frogspawn
Frogspawn is a block but it does not have any solid properties. It is unobtainable as well, no matter the type of tool or enhancement that you end up using. It drops nothing and will simply be destroyed.
However, it does have its use. As mentioned above, frogspawn will produce tadpoles. For this to happen, frogspawn has to be produced first. This is done by breeding two frogs, where one frog will go to a nearby water block and lay frogspawn.
This also sets a rule that frogspawn has to be placed in water. These blocks also need to have an extra block of air above them to count as eligible. After a bit, they will spawn tadpoles properly.
Usually, the process of tadpoles spawning takes up to 10 minutes. When they hatch, tadpoles will appear in groups of 2 to 5. These tadpoles then proceed to eat and grow until becoming grown frogs.
Tadpole Behavior
The tadpole in Minecraft is far simpler than a frog in its behavior. It doesn’t hop around and it can’t go on land. In fact, if it ever exits the water the tadpole will die quickly. The tadpoles are also favorite targets of axolotls. Any nearby ones can eliminate a whole group of these tiny mobs quite fast, despite frogs not being targeted by axolotls.
Tadpoles can be interacted with in two ways. One is to lead them about by holding a slimeball. Another is to simply pick them up with a bucket of water. This will hold the tadpoles and prevent them from dying on land.
After about one in game day, so about 20 minutes, the tadpole will grow into a frog. The speed can be increased by feeding the tadpole and the biome of its growth will determine what sort of frog it’ll be. A tadpole can spawn as a temperate, cold, or warm frog depending on the warmth of the biome.
Tadpole Drops
Tadpoles offer no drops nor experience in Minecraft. They count as baby mobs, most if not all of which do not provide the player with any benefits.