American Bullfrog

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

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A pond predator in a tank

American bullfrogs, Lithobates catesbeianus, are the big green frogs of eastern North America, now invasive across much of the world because people moved them. Adults run about 6 to 8 inches. Males call with a jug-o-rum note that carries through a wall. The table calls them bold, voracious, and territorial. All three show up in a living room.

Captive lifespan is listed at 7 to 10 years. They need 75 to 85°F, humidity around 70 to 80 percent, and at least a 55-gallon tank split between water deep enough to swim and land where they can haul out. A screen lid has to be clamped. They jump, and a bullfrog on the loose is a wet, panicked animal with a serious bite radius for a frog.

Roommates are food

The diet line includes large insects, earthworms, mice, fish, and crayfish. That list is also the list of animals you should not keep in the same enclosure. Feed with tongs. A weekly mouse makes a fatty frog and filthy water. Insects and worms can be the ordinary meals, with a vertebrate prey item as an occasional offering for a large adult.

Do not release a bullfrog you are tired of. Western states often restrict import or possession precisely because dumped pets ate native frogs and snakes. Check the rule where you live before the animal is in the car.

Mess, noise, and red skin

These frogs foul water quickly. A filter rated for a messy turtle is closer to the truth than a betta filter. Red legs, sitting in the water and refusing land, or a call that turns into open-mouth breathing needs a clinic. ARAV is the directory. Appetite collapse is the picture on the not-eating guide, and the checker is there when you are unsure whether it can wait until morning. The animal itself is often $10 to $25. The 55-gallon build is the real bill, listed around $150 to $300 before the filter you will wish you had bought first.

American bullfrog questions

How big do American bullfrogs get?

Adults are about 6 to 8 inches, not counting the leap. A 55-gallon semi-aquatic tank is the table's minimum, and a tight lid is not optional.

What do bullfrogs eat?

Large insects, earthworms, fish, crayfish, and mice. They also eat other frogs. The mouth size is the housing rule.

Are bullfrogs good for beginners?

The quick facts say intermediate, which is generous. They are messy, loud, strong, and restricted in some western states because released frogs wreck native ponds.

How long do captive bullfrogs live?

About 7 to 10 years if the water stays swimmable and the diet is not only fatty mice. Wild lifespan is often shorter.