Green Invaders

More than a century ago, American bullfrogs were introduced into the western United States in hopes that they could be farmed for food. Although the farming efforts failed, the bullfrog adapted to man-made ponds and waterways and is now a threat to native species of fish, snakes, birds, and other frogs—some of them endangered.

 © Joe McDonald, Clyde Peeling's Reptiland

American Bullfrog

Rana catesbeiana

Class: Amphibia
Family: Ranidae
Size: 3½ to 8 inches
Food: Insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, small mammals, birds
Range: Eastern and central U.S.; introduced in the western U.S
Habitat: Aquatic; ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams
Life Cycle: Females lay up to 20,000 eggs in long strings. Tadpoles take up to two years to metamorphose.