Before we get into weeds of today’s Wild Fact I want to make sure that all of you brought your chest waders and rubber boots.  You will definitely need these if you want to go and observe some good ol’ fashioned American Bullfrogs. I remember growing up as a kid trying to catch these large frogs along the river by my Uncle’s place.  It sure is funny the memories that you retain throughout your life, isn’t it?

If you are from North America than I am almost certain you have either heard the loud call of the bullfrog or have actually gotten your hands dirty exploring the ponds for these incredible frogs. The American Bullfrog is by far the largest of the North American frog species.  They can grow to 20 cm (8″) long and weigh up to 750 grams (1.5 lbs).  No wonder, I wanted to try and catch some of these large frogs!

As night rolls around you may hear the sounds of mooing cows coming from your local pond or favourite lake.  Don’t worry, there is no need to call Farmer Joe down the road and let him know Betsy the Cow escaped again.  You are most likely listening to the wonderful chorus of the bullfrog! Incidentally, this “mooing-like” sound is why they are called bullfrogs.  Only the male frogs are capable of creating this cow-like sound.  I guess even in the wild world, the males are loud and obnoxious!

Speaking of being obnoxious, the male bullfrogs are very territorial and will fiercely guard their land from intruders. I suppose they wouldn’t have liked the 8 year old me coming after them with my grubby little hands.  I guess that is why they always jumped into the water.

American Bullfrog Fast Fact: The bullfrog is a nocturnal feeder that will feast on just about anything they can fit into their gaping mouth including insects, birds, mice, snakes and fish.  Instead of relying solely on a long sticky tongue to eat, the bullfrog will use their powerful legs to ambush their prey.

Below is a 2 minute video clip created by the Vancouver Aquarium which shows the incredible feeding process of the bullfrog. Before you go to the video, I want to highlight two things.  First, the large round discs you see on the side of the bullfrogs head are their eardrums.  Secondly, the end of the video highlights the disappearance of amphibians.  This is an important note since we use frogs as an indicator species to assess the health of our ecosystems.  What do you think this means about our ecosystems if the frogs are disappearing?  Think about that while you enjoy the video clip!