Bullfrogs will become sexually active after 2–4 years of becoming a frog. Females are attracted to males who have territories that provide the most food. Bullfrogs mate between early spring to early summer. A male bullfrog grabs the female and begins roaring. A female bullfrog makes an aggressive call. The female lays her eggs in shallow waters. The male releases sperm on the eggs as fertilizer. A female can lay up to 20,000 eggs. The eggs of the bullfrogs are laid on the surface of water. They are then exposed to harmful UV-B radiation. Because of this, many bullfrogs may have abnormal (not normal) development. The eggs hatches after four days. They are called "tadpoles" and live in the water eating algae. Bullfrog tadpoles are larger in length than other tadpoles by other frogs. They become frogs in more than a year. In captivity, they can become frogs in twelve weeks. If a bullfrog tadpole remains as a tadpole for more than a year, it will become larger when it is an adult. Because of this, they will have a better chance at survival in the wild.
There are many predators such as larger fish, crustaceans, and some birds that eat some of the eggs and tadpoles. Because bullfrog tadpoles are not very active, they are less likely to be eaten by any animal. However, if spotted, bullfrog tadpoles will be eaten by salamanders and invertebrates. When they become adult frogs, the predators become food for the bullfrogs. Males will stay with their tadpoles and protect them. Males will even take their tadpoles, by digging through mud, to other large bodies of water. They do this if the water is drying up. The tadpoles of a bullfrog are not a favorite food source for fish. This is because of their awful taste. This gives bullfrog tadpoles a better chance in surviving than tadpoles of other frogs. Bullfrog tadpoles spend most of their time not swimming. This makes them less noticeable. Tadpoles of a bullfrog have also raised concerns. Their favorite food is algae and while growing up, they consume large amounts of it. They can also live anywhere where a human house is, if there is water nearby.
Once the tadpoles become "froglets", they begin hopping out of the water and into land. They loose their tails once they are at this stage. The froglets will stop using their gills and use them as lungs. They begin eating small insects. The froglets will remain near the water where they were laid. If there is a drought, they will search for a new habitat. At the time, froglets become easy prey to larger frogs, reptiles, raccoons, foxes, and birds. Froglets become adult bullfrogs after four months they began hopping on land.
Bullfrogs in southern US states are active all the time. Bullfrogs in northern US states hibernate during the winter time. Mating season begins in spring and ends in early summer. In northern US states, bullfrogs will begin coming out of hibernation. They will begin eating and swimming. During the summer, bullfrogs will spend most of their time in the water. They will feed on mosquito larvae. During the fall, northern US states bullfrogs will begin hibernating. Southern US states bullfrogs will become semi-aquatic. During the winter time, they will continue to be semi-aquatic.
If the weather outside is cold, they will hibernate for a few days. Bullfrogs are active at night. They can be seen hopping around gardens and streets. During the day, they will be near the edge of the water. During the daytime, they become motionless (not moving). They will begin moving if food is nearby, or if they feel threatened.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rates the bullfrog as "Least Concern". This is because they are found almost in every continent. "Least Concern" means that the bullfrog is not an endangered species. There are more bullfrogs in southern United States than there is in the north. However, bullfrogs populations are decreasing because of habitat loss, water pollution, pesticide and over harvesting. In 2012, Mark W. Stone chairman of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, is currently trying to ban the import, sale, and the keeping of bullfrogs in Santa Cruz, California. If the board signs the bill, Santa Cruz will be the first county in the United States to ban bullfrogs. Stone is trying ban bullfrogs because of the bullfrogs appetite. They have been blamed for making many animals become an endangered species in that state.
Bullfrogs are an invasive species in Puerto Rico. Bullfrogs were accidentally introduced starting in the 1900s in Colorado and California. Fishermen went out fishing and took their catchings back home, some had bullfrogs in their nets still alive. They have been introduced by pet owners who no longer wanted them. Some pet owners bought bullfrogs to control pests near their homes. The impact of bullfrogs being introduced has negative outcomes. Because of their diet, they can decrease populations of other frogs. Bullfrogs have been blamed for making the California Red-legged Frog a near-threatened species. They have also been blamed for many other amphibian extinctions in California.
Bullfrogs compete with other frogs for food, and can even kill their own kind if food is no where to be found. Bullfrogs are considered one of the worst alien invasive species (AIS). The AIS are animals who are able to decrease other species and even make them extinct worldwide. Bullfrogs are responsible for the decline of garter snakes in Mexico. In a laboratory experiment by Alford in 1989, bullfrogs decreased the population of Cope's gray treefrog. The study introduced the bullfrogs with Cope's gray treefrog in a controlled environment.
Bullfrogs are a source of food for Southern United States and the Midwestern United States. People hunt bullfrogs at night near rivers. The bullfrogs' legs are cooked, while their backs are fried. In China, bullfrogs are sold alive for eating. They are then killed and cooked with vegetables. In the state of California, people must have a license to catch bullfrogs for food. In schools, bullfrogs are dissected in biology classes. Usually, this is done in middle school. The dissecting is a method for teaching students the anatomy of a bullfrog. Bullfrogs are also kept as pets. They are kept in aquariums or a terrarium. A terrarium is a tank that is decorated with plants and soil on one side. On the other side, there is water. A bullfrog would need one place for land and another for water.
Irritator
Irritator (say: "irr-irr-it-at-or") is a genus of spinosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Brazil during the Lower Cretaceous. Its fossils are known from the Romualdo Formation. "Irritator" had straight and cone-shaped teeth. Its jaws were low, long and slender, with the nostrils placed well back from the front of the snout (all consistent with fish eating). "Irritator" also had a narrow crest made of nasal bones on top of the skull. "Irritator"'s name comes from the English word "Irritation". It was given its name due to the feelings of the scientists who described it when they found that fossil dealers had added plaster to the front of the snout.
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress, movie director, screenwriter and producer. In 2001 she won Golden Globe for this role in "Almost Famous" and was nominated for Oscar, but Marcia Gay Harden won.
Kate is the younger child of musician Bill Hudson and Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn who were divorced in 1980. She has one older brother, Oliver Hudson. She also has one half-brother and three half-sisters.
Kate began a career as an actress in 1996.
In 2000 she played Penny Lane in "Almost Famous" and won a Golden Globe for this role. She was also nominated for an Oscar for this role, but Marcia Gay Harden won.
She is also a movie director, screenwriter and producer.
From 2000 to 2007 she was married to musician Chris Robinson. They had one child, Ryder Russell Robinson (born on January 4, 2004).