The nutrition source plays an important role in the growth and development of animals. In this study, the effects of glucose and vitamin C (Vc) on the growth and activity of three enzymes (malate dehydrogenase: MDH, lactate dehydrogenase: LDH, amylase: AMS) of tadpoles of Rana zhenhaiensis were studied using the static water immersion method. Healthy and uniform-size sibling tadpoles of R. zhenhaiensis with developmental stages of Gosner 29 and 30 were selected for testing. For glucose treatment, three experimental concentrations were chosen: 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/L, respectively; and for Vc treatment, three experimental concentration were chosen: 10.0, 20.0 and 30.0 mg/L, respectively. Treatment with dechlorinated tap water was set up for control. Each treatment was replicated three times, with 10 objective tadpoles. The experimental period was lasted for tadpole metamorphosis until forelimb emerged (Gosner 42). The results showed that survival rates among different glucose treatments were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Metamorphic time (P > 0.05) was significantly different among treatments, with the shortest period in the 0.5 g/L (43.0 ± 4.0 d) and 1.0 g/L (43.0 ± 3.4 d) group, and the longest period in the 2.0 g/L (46.2 ± 5.4 d) treatment. Both body mass and total body length of metamorphosis were found to be the largest in the 0.5 g/L treatment group. Body mass (P < 0.01) of metamorphosis among different treatments was significantly different, but total body length (P > 0.05) was not significantly different. Rate of weight growth was found to be the highest in the 0.5 g/L treatment (9.67 ± 1.71 mg/d) and the lowest in the control group (7.54 ± 1.22 mg/d), and the differences were significant (P < 0.05) (Fig. 2). For Vc treatments, like those in the glucose experimental treatments, survival rates among different treatments were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Developmental stage of each treatment was more advanced than that of the control when examined 1 week later, as well as on day 14, 21 and 28, respectively. Metamorphic time (all treatments were similar to 43.0 d, P > 0.05) was not significantly different among all treatments. Total body length and body mass of metamorphosis in control treatment were smaller than those of 20.0 mg/L and 30.0 mg/L treatment groups, but total body length (P > 0.05) and body mass (P > 0.05) was not significantly different among the treatments during the experimental period. Rate of weight growth was found to be the highest in both 20.0 mg/L and 30.0 mg/L treatments and the lowest in the 10.0 mg/L treatment, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) (Fig. 3). Both glucose and Vc could impact enzyme activity of R. zhenhaiensis tadpoles. The activity of MDH increased with the increase of experimental concentrations of glucose and Vc. The activities of LDH and AMS were highest in 1.0 g/L of glucose group and 10.0 mg/L of Vc group, respectively (Table 1). These findings suggest that 10.0 mg/L of Vc or 1.0 g/L of glucose should be the optimum exogenous concentrations that could promote the growth performance and enzymatic activity of R. zhenhaiensis tadpoles. These data might provide some valuable information for R. zhenhaiensis breeding in the future.