Amphibians · Anura · Ranidae

Lesser Bull-frog

Pyxicephalus edulis

Least Concern

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

The lesser African bullfrog is the smaller relative of the African bullfrog, with which it is often confused. It shares with it the habit of burying itself in a cocoon of skin during the dry season and of breeding explosively as soon as the rains arrive. It is a traditional food source in several regions of southern Africa.

Weight

100 g – 400 g

Size

8 cm – 12 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaFreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Savanna Freshwater Grassland

11countries 45parks11same family

Fun facts

Its breeding is explosive: as soon as the first rains fall, hundreds of individuals emerge from the ground at once and gather in the newly formed pools, and the whole business of spawning can be over in a couple of nights.
It is traditionally eaten in several regions of southern Africa, and in Namibia and Botswana there is a tradition of collecting that only allows them to be taken after the first calling, once they have already bred.
Its tadpoles develop in record time, in barely three weeks, a race against the evaporation of the temporary pool where they were born.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Savannah, scrub and grassland with seasonal pools of sub-Saharan Africa
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in temporary pools
Litter / clutch size: 2000 eggs

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