The external morphology and internal buccal characteristics of Leptodactylus elenae tadpoles are described and compared with other Leptodactylus species. The external morphology and anatomy of the buccal cavity of L. elenae are similar to other Leptodactylus in the fuscus group and suggest a pond-larval diet. The most variable features among Leptodactylus species are the lingual papillae number and the lateral ridge papillae. The latter are small and lack terminal branches in tadpoles of L. elenae. Leptodactylus tadpoles exhibit variable morphology, sometimes convergent with other genera in the family. However, it seems that both external larval morphology and internal buccal features support the current groups of Leptodactylus.