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How does a tadpole’s digestive system change during metamorphosis?
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amphibian
Banded fire salamander (Salamandra terrestris).
During metamorphosis, a tadpole’s digestive system undergoes significant structural changes to transition from a larval, typically herbivorous diet to an adult, carnivorous diet. A primary change is the shortening of the intestine, which is necessary to accommodate the shift in feeding modes.12
Additionally, the larval mouthparts degenerate and are replaced by adult structures, such as a new mouth and, in most species, a tongue. These modifications to the digestive tract and associated structures are part of a broader, hormone-driven transformation that prepares the animal for a terrestrial life and a different nutritional intake.23