Fun Indian Bullfrog Facts For Kids
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The species of Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) inhabits wetlands of South and South East Asia, inhabiting holes and bushes close to permanent waters. It's a solitary and principally nocturnal animal in nature, and its diet consists of food like insects and occasionally tiny mammals, small snakes, and birds.
They are voracious eaters, feeding on anything that best fits in their mouths. Breeding takes place throughout the monsoon season.
That is why it hasn't extensively been studied till recent years. During monsoon, the color of the male changes to yellow to attract the female.
Their young ones are called tadpoles. Hunting of these bullfrogs is banned in Karnataka and Goa, India, under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The Indian frog has been farmed in Thailand since the 1990s for food.
Let's look at these interesting facts, and if you like these, do read our American bullfrog and red-eyed tree frog facts.
Indian Bullfrog Interesting Facts
What type of animal is an Indian bullfrog?
The Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus), popularly named Asian bullfrog, or Asia bullfrog, is a large species of frog. It is primarily a nocturnal animal. It is an amphibian. These frogs jump over the surface of the water just as they jump on land. These frogs eat small birds and animals, vertebrates and invertebrates.
What class of animal does an Indian bullfrog belong to?
The Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) belongs to the class Amphibia.
How many Indian bullfrogs are there in the world?
There are about 20 species of Indian bullfrogs. Their exact population is unknown. However, many experts have commented that their population ought to be monitored so they don't multiply at an alarming rate.
Where does an Indian bullfrog live?
The Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) lives in holes and bushes near permanent water sources and on land. They live in the wetlands of South and South East Asia, which includes India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Madagascar.
What is an Indian bullfrog habitat?
These frogs inhabit a spread of fresh habitats and ponds, marshes, streams, rivers, and artificial habitats like canals and stormwater ponds. Unlike other frogs, bullfrogs pay most of their time within the water wherever they feed. These frogs tend to avoid coastal and forest areas. During rainstorms, they search for new habitats on land.
Who does the Indian bullfrog live with?
These frogs are solitary because their feeding habits adopt a 'survival of the fittest' attitude.
How long does an Indian bullfrog live?
The native Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) may have a lifespan of more than seven years.
How do they reproduce?
Monsoon is the breeding season of these frogs. Its loud calls during monsoon attract the opposite gender.
Fertilization is external in bullfrogs within the breeding grasp or amplexus. The males ride on the female prime, grasping her along with his forelimbs posterior to her forelimbs. The female frog deposits her eggs within the water, and therefore the males, at the same time, release sperm.
The breeding season begins in late spring or early summer over the surface of the water. During the monsoon season, the color of the male changes to yellow to attract the female.
What is their conservation status?
The Indian bullfrogs' species conservation status is considered as Least Concern.
Indian Bullfrog Fun Facts
What do Indian bullfrogs look like?
The native Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) has a dull appearance throughout the season and comes in the colors of olive-green and brown-green. This helps them camouflage well.
Once the breeding season comes around, their appearances change drastically: males put on their sensible suits to impress all the females! Their snout is pointed, and they have sharp teeth—the male changes to yellow to attract the female during the monsoon.
How cute are they?
These native Indian species of bullfrog aren't cute but have a variation of beautiful colors.
How do they communicate?
The Indian bullfrog, native to India, communicates through the vocal sac during the breeding season to make its presence felt and impress the female bullfrog.
How big is an Indian bullfrog?
They are large-bodied frogs in nature. They weigh about 0.6-1.7 lb (272-771 g) and are 6.6 in (167.6 mm) tall. They are five times bigger than a common frog.
How fast can an Indian bullfrog swim?
The Indian bullfrog can swim very fast. Their exact speed, however, is unknown.
How much does an Indian bullfrog weigh?
The Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) weighs about 0.6-1.7 lb (272-771 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names given to the male and female of the species. Their sizes distinguish the males and females as the males' external eardrums are larger than the females.
What would you call a baby Indian bullfrog?
There are no specific names given to the bullfrog's baby. They are called tadpoles or froglets like other native species.
What do they eat?
The Indian bullfrogs prey on food like insects, vertebrates, invertebrates, mice, shrews, young frogs, worms, roundworms, juvenile snakes, small birds, and small mammals. They are voracious eaters, feeding on anything that fits best in their mouths. It can eat anything from rodents to insects. It can even feed on other smaller frogs.
Are they poisonous?
No, these Indian bullfrog species are not poisonous and harmless to humans but are very feared. They are nocturnal and predatory. They cannot kill you. They only get aggressive when they try to defend their own territories.
Would they make a good pet?
The Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) can make a good pet if provided with food and kept under the right conditions. Since they are amphibians, they are not very easy to maintain.
Did you know...
The largest bullfrog ever caught was about 13 lb (5.8 kg) and was caught in Texas, USA. It was nicknamed 'Frogzilla'.
It is the largest frog found in South Asia. It has, however, become an invasive species in the Andaman Nicobar islands.
The Goliath frog is the world's biggest frog. It is 12.5 in (32 cm) long.
They are voracious eaters, feeding on anything that fits best in their mouths.
When frightened, these frogs jump over the surface of the water just as they jump on land.
The hunting of these bullfrogs is banned in parts of India like Karnataka and Goa under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
What problems do bullfrogs cause?
Both tadpoles and adult Indian bullfrog species are voracious feeders and might consume creatures and the eggs or offspring of many native species. Declines in some autochthonic species are related to the recently introduced bullfrogs, making them the reason for declines.
However, some researchers have steered that alternative factors occurring simultaneously, like alterations to habitat, could be responsible for these declines.
They also overconsume non-indigenous fish, and they are also detrimental to the atmosphere. These invasive bullfrogs impact some native species via competition, predation, and environmental displacement. Bullfrogs may be carriers of pathogens that may adversely affect native frog populations. They are carriers of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a chytrid fungus, which can be severely unhealthful to some amphibians.
Nevertheless, hunting of these animals is banned in Goa every season under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
What are they known for?
The Indian bullfrog species facilitate the management of insect pests because of their diet. They are well known for their long frog legs, making them the best jumping animals in the world. Frog racing is a sport in the United States due to this reason.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Xenopus facts and milk frog facts for kids pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Indian bullfrog coloring pages.
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