Bullfrog - Rana catesbeiana

Size: 3 1/2 - 8 inches (9-20.3 cm). This is the largest North American frog.

Voice: A resonant series of deep bass notes sounding like rrr-uum or jug-o-rum.

Identification: Green skin coloration with yellow throat in males and white in females. No dorsolateral fold is present.

Life stages: One female may lay up to 20,000 eggs in a surface film. Tadpoles require two years for transformation, and three additional years to reach maturity.

Breeding habitat: Breeding occurs in permanent bodies of water.

Summer habitat: This highly aquatic frog prefers large bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, sluggish streams, and backwaters of rivers. Although introduced local populations occur in several counties in central and southern Minnesota, this species is only native to the southeastern corner of the state.

Winter habitat: Aquatic.

Photo: ©B. Oldfield.