| Pig Frog | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ranidae |
| Genus: | Rana |
| Species: | R. grylio |
| Binomial name | |
| Rana grylio Stejneger, 1901 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
|
The Pig Frog (Rana grylio[1][2]) is a species of aquatic frog found in the south-eastern United States, from the state of South Carolina to Texas. Some sources also refer to it as the Lagoon Frog or the Southern Bullfrog.
Contents |
The Pig Frog is green or grey-green in color, with brown or black blotching. They have fully webbed feet, a sharply pointed nose, and a large ears tympanum. They are easily mistaken for various other species of the genus Rana which they share geographic range with, including the Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). They grow to a length of 3.25 to 5.5 inches.
Almost entirely aquatic, they are found predominantly on the edges of lakes, or in cypress swamps and marshes that are heavy with vegetation. They are nocturnal. Its pig-like grunt can be heard during the warm months of the year
Their primary diet is crayfish, but like most frogs, they will consume almost anything they can swallow, including insects, fish, and other frogs.
Breeding takes place from spring through to summer. Eggs are laid in large masses of up to 10,000 at a time on the surface of the water. This species gets its common name from the call that males use to attract females, which sounds somewhat like a pig's grunt.
The Pig Frog holds no particular conservation status and is relatively common in its range. The species has been introduced and established itself in China, Andros Island and New Providence Island in the Bahamas, as well as Puerto Rico.
Pig frogs have been reported to be raised for food by Chinese farmers, along with bullfrogs.[3]