Amphibians · Anura · Pyxicephalidae

Giant Bullfrog

Pyxicephalus adspersus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The African bullfrog is one of the largest and most aggressive frogs in the world: males exceed twenty centimetres and defend their tadpoles by attacking any intruder, human beings included. It spends most of the year buried inside a cocoon of shed skin, waiting for the rains.

Weight

500 g – 1.4 kg

Size

12 cm – 24 cm

Lifespan

35 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaFreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Savanna Freshwater Grassland

43countries 36parks

Fun facts

The male looks after the tadpoles and defends them with extraordinary aggression, attacking snakes, birds and even people who come near the pool, a form of parental care that is very uncommon in frogs.
When the pool holding its tadpoles dries up, the male digs a channel with his legs to a nearby pool so that the water flows and the young can escape: a deliberate modification of the environment that is exceptional in an amphibian.
It spends up to seven months buried inside a cocoon formed of several layers of shed skin that holds in moisture, and emerges as soon as the first rains soak the ground.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Savannah and grassland with temporary pools of sub-Saharan Africa
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in temporary pools
Litter / clutch size: 4000 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/