During a late April trip to the Quarry just outside of Oxford, OH, I uncovered a Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) while turning over some rocks on the side of the stream. This guy was pretty small for a bullfog, so I suspect he was fairly young. He appeared sluggish and made little effort to get away, even when he was in my hand. His back was a dark green/brown color, and his underbelly had a more whiteish appearance.
The bullfrog has a very wide range and can be found almost anywhere in the US, except in the Western desert areas. Their eggs are externally fertilized and typically hatch very quickly-usually in less than a week and sometimes in as few as three days. Bullfrogs are well known for their diet; they eat basically anything that can fit in their mouth ranging from insects, fish, rodents, snakes, even other bullfrogs!
(Matt O'Toole Miami University)
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