Mississippi’s American Bullfrog takes center stage on Wildlife Wednesday

Mississippi’s wetlands come alive during spring and summer evenings with the deep, resonant calls of the American bullfrog, according to wildlife experts. The frog’s call is often described as sounding like “jug-o-rum.”

As the largest frog in North America, bullfrogs can grow over 6 inches long and weigh more than a pound, said conservation officials. They prefer permanent ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams, where males call from the water’s edge to attract mates and defend territory.

After laying eggs, the tadpoles can take a year or longer to fully transform into adult frogs. American bullfrogs are opportunistic predators, feeding on insects, fish, other frogs, and nearly anything they can fit in their mouths.

A fun fact from wildlife experts: bullfrogs do not rely solely on their ears to hear. They have large circular eardrums, called tympana, behind each eye that amplify sound. In males, the tympanum is noticeably larger than the eye.

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