Bullfrog

The **American bullfrog** (*Rana catesbeiana* or *Lithobates catesbeianus*) is a semi-aquatic frog. It belongs to the family Ranidae, or 'true frogs'. Bullfrogs are native to most of North America, Canada and Mexico. The ones that live in northern America hibernate during winter. However, bullfrogs in southern US states are active all the time. Bullfrogs have been seen in South America, Asia, Western Europe and the Caribbean. These bullfrogs were brought on ships. Many people, including pet owners, have placed bullfrogs outside of their native area. They have done this: on purpose because they no longer want them, to control the pest population, or by accident by catching them in fishing nets.

Bullfrogs can adapt and live almost anywhere if there is water nearby. They can eat rodents, insects, small fish, arachnids, small birds, crustaceas, small mammals, worms, and other frogs. Because of this, they have been blamed for many animal extinctions. Bullfrogs live in large bodies of water such as swamps, lakes, and ponds. They like to stay near the edge of the water. During a rainstorm, they may travel on land. They travel in search of a new habitat.

Bullfrogs are prey to various birds like herons, and their life in the wild is much less than in captivity. One captive bullfrog lived almost 16 years. The name "bullfrog" was given because males roar when mating with a female. Bullfrogs can be kept as pets. Captive bullfrogs are given rodents, small fish, crickets, worms, and fruit flies as food and treats. Pet owners may add supplements on the frogs food for health. Bullfrogs can host many viruses, bacteria and parasites. They were blamed for an intraerythrocytic virus outbreak in Canada in 1997. Bullfrogs are the cause of the chytrid fungus spreading into Arizona. The fungus is one of the main reasons that there are fewer amphibians.

A female bullfrog can lay up to 20,000 eggs. Bullfrog tadpoles take up to a year to become a young frog. Males will stay behind and take care of the tadpoles. Males are territorial and will attack any animal, including their own kind, if they come near them. Bullfrogs can reduce the mosquito population. They do this by eating most of the mosquito's larvae. Bullfrogs do not move during the day, except if there is food nearby or when .

Bullfrog legs are eaten by humans. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rates the bullfrog as "Least Concern", which means that they are not an endangered species. However, they are dying because of habitat loss, water pollution, pesticides, and over harvesting.

## Taxonomy 
The American bullfrog (*Rana catesbeiana*) is its common name. It is one of 90 species of the genus *Rana*. 

In Quebec, Canada and Louisiana US the bullfrog is called ouaouaron ''(wa'wa'ron)*; a word originating in the Wendat language and borrowed in the 17th century*.* The parent family for *Rana* is Ranidae, or "true frogs". 

The Ranidae is split into nine sub families. *Ceratobatrachinae* (southeast Asia), *Conrauinae* (Africa), *Dicroglossinae*, *Micrixalinae* (India), *Nyctibatrachinae* (India), *Petropedetinae* (Africa), *Ptychadeninae* (Africa), *Raninae* (Australia, South America), and *Ranixalinae'' (India). The American bullfrog's genus name comes from the Latin word rana, which means frog. 

Bullfrogs were first described in 1802 by George Shaw. Shaw described the bullfrog in his book *General Zoology or Systematic Natural History*. A bullfrogs  is a slow deep *g-r-r-u-u-u-u-m*. Young bullfrogs will make a high  chirp before going in the water.  Bullfrogs have toxic skin, though it is not  to humans. The toxins make it less likely that other animals will eat them.

## Adults 
The American bullfrog is the largest of the "true frogs" family. Bullfrogs are either brown or green. They also have darker spots on their back. Bullfrogs have webbed feet for swimming. They can  up to . They will jump, , and even chase any animal away. Bullfrog stomachs have been found to have rodents, baby muskrats, small turtles, snakes, frogs (including bullfrogs), birds, and a bat, as well as the many invertebrates, such as insects. These studies show the bullfrog's diet is  among North American *Rana*. The male releases sperm on the eggs as fertilizer. A female can lay up to 20,000 eggs. 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. 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 . Because of their diet, they can decrease populations of other frogs. 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.

## Human use 
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  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.

## References 
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## Other websites 
* Herps of Texas: *Rana catesbeiana*
* Bullfrog at allaboutfrogs.com
* Bullfrog recordings