American Bullfrog
Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Order: Anura Family: Ranidae Genus: Rana Species: R. catesbeiana
Binomial name
Rana catesbeiana (Shaw, 1802)
Bullfrog range
Synonyms
Lithobates catesbeianus

The American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana,^[1][2][3]) is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or "true frogs", native to much of North America. Bullfrog can have several possible meanings: Bullfrog, a North American frog species Bullfrog Productions, a UK computer game developer Bullfrog County, Nevada Bullfrog programming language Peter Bullfrog Moore, former Chief Executive of the Canterbury Bulldogs Rugby League Green Bullfrog, a studio music album produced by Derek Lawrence in 1971 Bullfrog... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2287x1770, 1874 KB) Summary North American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), Photographer: Carl D. Howe (self); Location: Stow, MA USA; Date of photograph: August 1, 2004 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other uses, see Amphibian (disambiguation). ... Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia The Anura is the order of animals in the class Amphibia that includes frogs and toads. ... Genera Batacia Opyum Rana - Frog is the common name for amphibians in the order, Anura. ... Look up rana, Rana in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... George Shaw. ... Year 1802 (MDCCCII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Image File history File links Bullfrog_range. ... In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. ... Distribution of frogs (in black) Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - List of Anuran families The frogness babe is an amphibian in the order Anura (meaning tail-less from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin saltare, to jump). ... Genera Batacia Opyum Rana - Frog is the common name for amphibians in the order, Anura. ... North American redirects here. ...

Description

The bullfrog is a large species in the family Ranidae; it can grow to a length of 9–15 cm (6 inches) with a weight of up to 500 g (one pound), the largest frog in North America.^[4] Females are typically larger than males. They are generally varying shades of green or brown, with dark brown, dark green, or black blotching and a yellow or white underside. Genera Batacia Opyum Rana - Frog is the common name for amphibians in the order, Anura. ... For other uses, see Green (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Brown (disambiguation). ... This article is about the color. ... A yellow Tulip. ... This article is about the color. ...

The skeleton of an adult frog consists of bone, hyaline cartilage, and calcified cartilage. The calcified cartilage can be found throughout the body of the frog, but it is particularly more noticeable in the epiphyses of the long bones in the limbs and shoulder-gridle. The frog has no scapula and a suprascapula which allows for greater range of motion for long jumps.^{[citation needed]} The radius and ulna have become fused into a single bone, the radio-ulna, and the tibia and fibula have become fused into a single bone, the tibio-fibula. This article is about the skeletal organs. ... Cartilage is type of dense connective tissue. ... Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. ... The word epiphysis can mean: The pineal gland, one of the endocrine glands. ... Left scapula - front view () Left scapula - rear view () In anatomy, the scapula, or shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). ... The radius is the bone of the forearm that extends from the outside of your limb to your phlangx (lateral) of the elbow to the thumb side of the wrist. ... The ulna (Elbow Bone) [Figs. ... This article is about the vertebrate bone. ... For other uses see fibula (disambiguation) The fibula or calf bone is a bone placed on the lateral side of the tibia, with which it is connected above and below. ...

A young female with a relatively small tympanic membrane

The vertebrae comprise ten bones; nine are true vertebrae, and the rod-shaped urostyle that is almost as long as the other nine. The head of the frog is flat but its form depends on the extensive separation of the jaw bones; the orbital cavities and the horizontal direction of their floor also have an effect on the form of the head. The central nervous system is made up of the spinal cord and the brain, where the spinal cord is a bit smaller than the brain. The peripheral nervous system contains the cranial nerves and spinal nerves. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1800x1300, 1109 KB) Source Own Picture. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1800x1300, 1109 KB) Source Own Picture. ... A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... Human jaw front view Human jaw left view Human jaw top view The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to, the mouth. ... In anatomy, the orbit is the cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated. ... A diagram showing the CNS: 1. ... The Spinal cord nested in the vertebral column. ... Human brain In animals, the brain (enkephale) (Greek for in the skull), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behavior. ... The Peripheral nervous system resides or extends outside the CNS central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to serve the limbs and organs. ... Cranial nerves Cranial nerves are nerves that emerge directly from the brain in contrast to spinal nerves which emerge from segments of the spinal cord. ...

They have four legs, not two hands and two legs as commonly misconceived. Front feet and back feet are both webbed.

Ecology and behavior

Bullfrog in typical aquatic habitat.

The American Bullfrog uses its skin, buccal cavity, and lungs for respiration. Cutaneous ("skin") gas exchange is very important in all amphibians. They are aptly named since their call is a loud, guttural bellow that carries a long distance, giving the impression that the frog is much larger than it actually is, which is an advantage in keeping predators away. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1440x960, 408 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bullfrog User:Fir0002/Natures pics ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1440x960, 408 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bullfrog User:Fir0002/Natures pics ... Buccal pumping is a method of respiration using the throat muscles. ... The heart and lungs (from an older edition of Grays Anatomy) The lung is an organ belonging to the respiratory system and interfacing to the circulatory system of air-breathing vertebrates. ... This article is about skin in the biological sense. ...

Reproduction

The male reproductive organs are the testes and their duct, and the female have ovaries. In the spring the male calls the female from the water. The female lays up to 20,000 eggs, and these eggs become tadpoles. Their metamorphosis brings them the organs that are only found in the adult frogs and takes between 12-24 months. There are three major changes that take place during the metamorphosis: Human male anatomy The testicles, known medically as testes (singular testis), are the male generative glands in animals. ... Human female internal reproductive anatomy Ovaries are a part of a female organism that produces eggs. ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... A Pieris rapae larva An older Pieris rapae larva A Pieris rapae pupa A Pieris rapae adult Metamorphosis is a process in biology by which an individual physically develops after birth or hatching, and involves significant change in form as well as growth and differentiation. ...

Bullfrog tadpole

1. Premetamorphisis which is when the embryo genesis and growth and development occur, during this time the thyroid gland is absent.
2. Prometamorphisis is the period in which the concentration of the endogenous thyroid hormone rises.
3. Metamorphosis is the period when the tadpole's tail shrinks back into the frog's body. Other organs also undergo changes such as the liver and the intestine. The gills are absorbed as well.

The adult frog can live up to 13 years. Image File history File links Bullfrog_Tadpole. ... Image File history File links Bullfrog_Tadpole. ... For other uses, see Embryo (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Genesis (disambiguation). ... The thyroid gland and its relations In anatomy, the thyroid (IPA θaɪɹoɪd) is an endocrine gland. ... A Pieris rapae larva An older Pieris rapae larva A Pieris rapae pupa A Pieris rapae adult Metamorphosis is a process in biology by which an individual physically develops after birth or hatching, and involves significant change in form as well as growth and differentiation. ... For the bird, see Liver bird. ... In anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. ... In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ...

Appetite

Bullfrogs will eat various types of animals, such as, insects, fish, snakes and occasionally other frogs. Bullfrogs' hunting style is "sit and wait"; they will sit and wait for their prey to pass by, and then in a flash, will grab it with their tounge and eat it.^[5]

Distribution

Bullfrog, R. catesbeiana

The American Bullfrog is native to North America. They are found in the United States, Canada and Mexico, east of the Rocky Mountains, but have been introduced to many other localities throughout the world. In Europe and the western U.S., measures are often taken to control its spread because it competes with, and often drives out, native species. Image File history File links Rana_catesbeiana. ... Image File history File links Rana_catesbeiana. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Human use

While occasionally kept as pets, the American Bullfrog provides a minor food source, especially in the Southern United States and in some areas of the Midwestern United States. In a few locations they are commercially cultured in ponds, but the traditional way of hunting them is to paddle or pole silently by canoe or flatboat in streams or swamps at night; when the frog call is heard, a light is shined on the frog to temporarily inhibit it. The frog will not jump into deeper water as long as movement is slow and steady. When close enough, the frog is gigged and brought into the boat. In some states, breaking the skin while catching them is illegal and either grasping gigs or hand capture are used. The only parts eaten are the rear legs, which resemble small chicken drumsticks and, sometimes, the backs, which are usually fried for consumption. A bag of frog legs from Vietnam. ... Historic Southern United States. ... This article is about the Midwestern region in the United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Ducks amongst other poultry The Poultry-dealer, after Cesare Vecellio Poultry is the category of domesticated birds kept for meat, eggs, and feathers. ...

The American Bullfrog is also used as a specimen for dissection in many schools across the world.

Trivia

The American Bullfrog is the State Amphibian of Missouri and Oklahoma. This is a list of official U.S. state amphibians. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ...

Two Bullfrogs were launched into orbit in 1970 on the Orbiting Frog Otolith spacecraft. A bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), the species which travelled on the OFO-A flight The Orbiting Frog Otolith (OFO) was a NASA space program which resulted in the successful launch in 1970 of the Orbiting Frog Otolith spacecraft (OFO-A mission), sending two bullfrogs into orbit for the study of weightlessness. ...

See also

• Sleep in nonhumans

External links

• Herps of Texas: Rana catesbeiana
• British Columbia Frog Watch Program: Bull Frog Fact Sheet
• Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, Exotic Species: Bull Frog

Footnotes

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Wikispecies has information related to:

Rana catesbeiana