Meet Our Animals

North American Bull Frog

Rana catesbeiana

Name and Personal History:
Bully: Bully was caught in the wild as a metamorphling during one of our programs in 2001 at the Mother Load River Center in Coloma, CA.

Native Habitat:
Bullfrogs are widely spread out over the eastern and central US, and although their limit is generally the Nebraska/Texas area, populations have been found in Colorado and New Mexico. They are abundant throughout New England. They are an invasive species here in California and have been part of the decline of our native frog populations.

Environment:
Bullfrogs are aquatic and can be found in almost any permanent water body, such as lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps, etc. Bullfrogs can usually be found on the bank or along the water's edge. These areas are usually well vegetated, and when the frog is startled it is just as likely to hide in vegetation as the water.

Physical Characteristics:
Bullfrogs are very large, aquatic creatures typically measuring 3.5 to 8 inches in length, making them the largest frog in North America. They have an olive-brownish color (which can fringe from green to yellow) with brown spots scattered over the body and webbed feet. They have large external eardrums and lack ridges on the back. Male bullfrogs have a yellow throat, whereas the female throat is white. Bullfrog tadpoles are long and olive-green, with dots on the head, body, and tail. Their voice is a deep-pitched, bassy "jug-o'-rum" which can be heard over distances of a quarter mile in the forest. Largest ever bullfrog, found in Washington state in 1949, weighed seven pounds and four ounces.

Diet:
Bullfrogs will eat almost any moving prey that they can catch, and have been observed cannibalizing other newly metamorphosed bullfrogs. Their usual diet consists of insects, crayfish, minnows, and large frogs have even been known to catch and eat small birds and young snakes!