Our experiment began from the time tadpoles hatched (GS 25),
until they metamorphosed into froglets (GS 46). A total of 3960 tadpoles,
360 randomly selected from each clutch at hatching, were
used in this study. We assigned tadpoles from each clutch to one of
six 250 × 200 × 200 mm plastic tanks with 5 l of dechlorinated
tapwater, following the protocol of a two (sufficient versus insufficient
food supplies) × three (low, middle and high larval densities)
factorial experiment, which allowed us to examine the effects of
food supply and larval density on survival, growth, development
and metamorphosis of tadpoles.