June Critter of the Month

by Connie Kent, photos by Fran Yates

Bullfrogs are native to eastern North America but were introduced into the west. They are considered an invasive species.

Bullfrog by Fran Yates

Bullfrogs are voracious, opportunistic, ambush predators that prey on any small animal they can overpower and stuff down their throats. Bullfrogs have very long tongues, roughly 1/3 the length of their bodies. 

When a frog attacks prey, opening its mouth is like letting go of a slingshot, much faster than the prey’s ability to see the strike and evade capture, completing the strike and retrieval in approximately 0.07 seconds.

The bullfrog breeding season typically lasts two to three months – that’s when they are most vocal. Male bullfrogs aggregate into groups called choruses. The males gather in groups to enhance their overall acoustical displays. This is thought to be more attractive to females (though not necessarily to humans).

Bullfrog in pond, by Fran Yates

Here are some samples of bullfrog sounds:

https://soundbible.com/tags-bullfrog.html

one frog: https://soundbible.com/1333-Frog-Croaking.html

multiple frogs: https://soundbible.com/1336-Frog-Croaking.html