Pictured: The rare albino tadpoles found in garden pond that have astonished scientists
Experts on amphibians have been caught on the hop by a rare batch of albino tadpoles living in a garden pond.
Tiny pale globules of frog spawn and tadpoles are now under observation at a secret and closely guarded address in Carmarthenshire, west Wales.
Experts from Froglife were called in after at least four separate blobs of albino spawn were found deposited in the pond.
They believe the "highly unusual" discovery could point to a significant frog population carrying the rare recessive gene for albinism.
All white: the discovery could point to a significant frog population carrying the rare recessive gene for albinism
No adult albino frogs have so far been discovered but their frog spawn and tadpoles have the characteristic pink eyes and off-white skin colour.
"Albino individuals of adult frogs, toads and newts have been reported in the past, though sightings are considered very rare," a spokesman said.
"Cases of multiple albinistic individuals in a breeding population are even rarer."
The sighting was reported to Froglife's Wildlife Information Service - a public advice service encouraging people to get involved with amphibian and reptile conservation.
Details of the unusual find, and a YouTube link to a short video of the albino frog spawn and tadpoles, appear on the group's website.
"This is certainly one of the stranger inquiries we've had recently," said Lucy Benyon, Froglife's wildlife information officer.
"What's unusual about this is that the batches of white tadpoles suggest that a number of adults that carry genes for albinism possibly exist in the area, not just one."
"Usually though albino amphibians fail to live to a breeding age - their white colour makes them a blindingly conspicuous beacon for the various animals that depend on frogs for food." she added.
She said that further research into the multiple cases of albino tadpoles will be looked into over coming months.
