Point Pelee Classification Guide
By: Madison Trozzi
BULLFROGS
Bullfrogs
(Lithobates catesbeianus or Rana catesbeiana)
The Bullfrog or American Bullfrog is a member of the family Ranidae.
The family Ranidae has a few characteristics:
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Most have long legs, smooth skin, and webbed feet.
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Their fingers are not webbed.
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Have a long leap.
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Usually known as ‘typical frogs’.
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Have horizontal eye pupils.
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Have teeth on upper jaw.
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Have bony breast bones.
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Usually have slender waists, dorsolateral folds on their backs, and pointed toes. There are exceptions to this characteristic, though.
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Usually have a carnivorous diet.
What To Look For:
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Is an aquatic frog.
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Has an olive green back, sides blotched with brown markings, and a white belly spotted yellow or grey.
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The upper lip is usually bright green, and males have a yellow throat.
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Eyes have brown pupils and horizontal almond-shaped pupils.
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Front legs are short and sturdy, while the back legs are long.
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The bullfrog has hands that are not webbed, but feet that are, with the exception of the forth toe, which is unwebbed.
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A male bullfrog has a call resembling the roar of a bull, hence why it acquired its common name.
