New Kid on the Block

The Wildlife Resources department is pleased to announce it recently added a new member to its collection, an American Bullfrog named "Frogger."

Frogger was found as a tadpole by a young boy living in the Shaker Heights area in 2007. As an adult frog she became too difficult to care for so she was donated to the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, where she lived for some time. She recently was transferred to CMNH for use in our live animal programs.



Bullfrogs lay about 20,000 eggs at a time which then hatch 4-5 days later. They stay in the tadpole stage for the entire summer, hibernate under the mud and then finish metamorphosis the following August or September. So Frogger is about 5 or 6 years old. American Bullfrogs live an average of 8 to 10 years in the wild but in captivity can live for much longer. We hope to have Frogger as part of our collection for many years to come to teach visitors about amphibians.

Bullfrogs get their name from the distinctive call the male uses to announce his presence to females and to let other males know his territory. While many describe the sound as "jug-o-rum," others think it sounds similar to a cow mooing. This is where the "bull" part of the name comes from. The vocalization can be heard up to a quarter of a mile away.

Bullfrogs can be found living in most calm freshwater bodies of water in the United States. They were native only in the eastern and central United States until they were introduced to the Pacific Northwest in the 1920's as a food source. This introduction has led to competition with other small species of frogs for territory and food.

American Bullfrogs are opportunistic hunters. They lie in wait at night for small animals to cross their paths and will jump out with mouths open to grab their meals. They will eat just about anything that fits in their mouths including insects, small reptiles, mice, and the occasional bird. Their mouths do get fairly large considering that these frogs can get up to 8 inches long and weigh around 1.5 pounds. Some bullfrogs have been known to be as heavy as 3 pounds.

While you cannot see a bullfrog this time of the year in your backyard, you can join us at Cleveland Museum of Natural History where you just might meet Frogger doing an educational program!

Traci Lambert, CMNH Wildlife Specialist