American bullfrog : North Carolina wildlife profiles

NORTH CAROLINA RESOURCES COMMISSION American Bullfrog North Carolina Wildlife Profiles American Bullfrog (R ana catesbeiana) “Jug o’ rum! Jug o’ rum!” The loud, bass croak of the bullfrog can rarely be mistaken. During late spring and early summer, male bullfrogs sing their nightly solos in ponds, lakes and streams across the state. People hear and see this large, green -and-brown frog across the state — from fresh water depressions on barrier islands on the coast to man made ponds in the mountains. Description The largest frog species in North America, the bullfrog usually grows 6 to 8 inch es long and weighs 2 to 3 pounds. Males typically outweigh females, but both sexes look much the same with a heavy build, big head, bright eyes and strong limbs with webbed feet. Their skin is smooth and olive green with dark, motded patterns on their sides and bellies. A bullf rog’s color may vary with its habitat. Bullfrogs at the coast, for instance, will be darker green and have darker markings than those in the mountains. Sometimes confused with North Carolina’s other "true frog” species, bullfrogs can be distinguished by their lack of a distinct skin fold, called a dorsolat¬ eral fold, running down either side of its body. History and Status Long before European settlers came to what is now North Carolina, bullfrogs thrived in its fresh waters. Bullfrogs remained plentiful into the 1800s. Then, with the advent of farm ponds in the early 1900s, and bulldozers to dig them in the 1930s and 1940s, bullf rog populations boomed. The new-found habitats throughout the state enabled this hearty, hefty frog to flourish. Today bullfrogs live in all parts of the state, aided in part by the increase in golf course ponds, parking lot retention drainages and other man-made areas. Learn more at ncwildlife.org/bullfrog. Habitats & Habits Bullfrogs, like most other amphibians, require aquatic habitats. They may breed on almost any body of water, but prefer areas such as ponds, lakes and slow- moving streams. Bullfrogs Uke open areas shallow’ enough for the sun to keep the water warm and to produce food for the young. Unlike many other frog species, bullfrogs can flourish in waters where fish are found because bullfrog tadpoles are apparently toxic or distasteful to fish and other predators. Bullfrog tadpoles also become quite large and have large muscular tails that can help them evade any potential predators. The ideal habitats host plenty of vegetation for food and cover. Tadpoles feed on algae surrounding submerged vegetation such as pondweed and water lilies. Adults eat almost any food they can get in their mouths, giving them the nickname the “green dragon of the pond.” Usually bullfrogs do not stalk their prey, but sit and wait until The American bullfrog is the largest frog species in North America. American Bullfrog (Photo: Jeff Hall) Range and Distribution Bullfrogs inhabit much of the United States. In the Eastern and Central regions, their na¬ tive range includes the southern provinces of Canada through mid-Florida, and reaches west Texas, Oklahoma and parts of Mexico. In the west, bullfrogs inhabit California, Washington, and Oregon, with sporadic populations in other states such as Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. In many areas of the western US, they are not native and considered a nuisance, where they compete with native species. Bullfrogs can be found on almost any body of water in North Caro¬ lina. They have been sighted in ponds up to 4,000 feet high in the mountains, and on the Outer Banks. Range Map Range