African Bullfrog
Scientific Name Pyxicephalus adspersus
Native To Sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat Grasslands, savanna and desert
Diet Omnivore: insects, fish, small rodents, small birds, other amphibians and plant material. They will eat just about anything, including other African bullfrog tadpoles on rare occasions.
Size and Age Males grow to be 2.3 kg (5 lbs); average lifespan of 20 years (some can live to 40 years)
Natural History
During times of drought, African bullfrogs can burrow underneath the ground and stay there for more than a year. They slough-off several layers of skin to form a tough cocoon. While underground their bodily functions slow down—a process known as estivation.
Least Concern
Conservation Status
Listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While these frogs are losing breeding habitat to urbanization, they are very adaptable and can live in a large variety of habitats.
Interesting Facts
- A female bullfrog will lay up to 4,000 eggs in a single clutch.
- The male bullfrog protects the eggs after they are laid, and even after they hatch into tadpoles. He will even dig channels in the mud to allow the tadpoles to swim into deeper water.
- Bullfrogs get their name from the roaring croak sound that males make to attract females; the sound is similar to that of a bull.
