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American Bullfrog
Scientific Name:
Lithobates catesbeianus
Type:
Amphibian
Habitat:
Wetlands, streams, and both natural and man-made bodies of water
Range:
North America and parts of the Caribbean
Status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
This species is
INVASIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
American bullfrogs are large frogs that can reach up to 8 inches long and weigh over 1.5 pounds. These frogs have smooth bodies without any spikes or warts. They are most often bright green at the snouts with dark green mixed with brown on the rest of their bodies. American bullfrogs have large, circular ear drums. They are most often found in streams and larger bodies of water.
Fast Facts:
American bullfrogs are considered to be invasive across a large portion of their range; they are only native to the eastern United States. These frogs can be a major threat to other amphibian species as they can easily out-compete them for food and other resources.
American bullfrog tadpoles can take up to two years to metamorphosize.
Tadpoles are mainly herbivorous (meaning they feed on plants), but occasionally they may eat tadpoles of other frog species. The diet of adult American bullfrogs include other frogs, snakes, insects, birds, mammals; essentially, anything they can fit into their mouths.
American Bullfrogs may live up to 10 years old.
Sources:
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California's Invaders: American Bullfrog, 2021, https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Bullfrog
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, American Bullfrog, 2018, https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ANS/erss/highrisk/ERSS-Lithobates-catesbeianus-final-February2018.pdf
IUCN Red List, American Bullfrog, 2015, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/58565/53969770
Image: Brent M, https://www.flickr.com/photos/thewakingdragon/43652997325, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/, cropped from original.
Contributor(s):
Ellen Wilson (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)