American bullfrog

American bullfrog
Adult male bullfrog
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Ranidae
Genus:	Lithobates
Species:	L. catesbeianus
Binomial name
Lithobates catesbeianus Shaw, 1802
Natural range – red; Introduced range – dark green
Synonyms
List Rana pipiens – Daudin, 1802 Rana taurina Cuvier, 1817 Rana mugiens Merrem, 1820 Rana scapularis Harlan, 1826 Rana conspersa LeConte, 1855 Rana (Rana) catesbeiana – Boulenger, 1920 Rana nantaiwuensis Hsü, 1930 Rana mugicus – , 1947 Rana catesbyana – Smith, 1978 Rana (Rana) catesbeiana – Dubois, 1987 Rana (Aquarana) catesbeiana – Dubois, 1992 Rana (Novirana, Aquarana) catesbeiana – Hillis & Wilcox, 20 Rana catesbeianus Lithobates (Aquarana) catesbeianus – Dubois, 2006

The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus or Rana catesbeiana), often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an amphibious frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or “true frogs”. This frog has an olive green back and sides blotched with brownish markings and a whitish belly spotted with yellow or grey. The upper lip is often bright green and males have yellow throats. It inhabits large, permanent water bodies, such as swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually found along the water's edge. The male bullfrog defends a territory during the breeding season. His call is reminiscent of the roar of a bull, which gives the frog its common name. This frog is native to southern and eastern parts of the United States and Canada, but has been widely introduced across other parts of North, Central and South America, Western Europe, and parts of Asia, and in some areas is regarded as an invasive species.

The bullfrog is harvested for use as food in North America and in several countries into which it has been introduced. It is also cultured in controlled environments, though this is a difficult and not always successful undertaking. Some international trade in frog legs occurs for human consumption. Bullfrogs are used in biology classes in schools for dissection and are sometimes kept as pets.

Some authorities use the scientific name, Lithobates catesbeiana, although others prefer Rana catesbeiana. A systematic review of the Holaractic true frogs in 2016 used Rana catesbeiana, as does AmphibiaWeb, an online compendium of amphibian names and information available at http://amphibiaweb.org/.

The specific name, catesbeiana (feminine) or catesbeianus (masculine), is in honor of English naturalist Mark Catesby.

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Wikipedia