Field Guide to Maryland's Frogs and Toads (Order Anura)

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
Adult American Bullfrog, photo courtesy of John White
Former Name:
Size: 3½ - 6 inches Record - 8 inches
Appearance: Our largest frog, plain green above with no dorsolateral ridges. Back sometimes has a netlike pattern of gray or brown on green. Undersides whitish or with yellowish or gray wash. Tympanum is larger than eye in males, who also may have a yellowish wash on throat.
Habitats: Prefers larger bodies of water than most frogs, it can be found in lakes, ponds, bogs, slow water of streams and rivers. Usually found along edges or in emergent vegetation. Photo of American Bullfrog Habitat, courtesy of Rebecca Chalmers
How to Find: Listen for the distinctive bass “jug-o-rum” call from late April through July. Catch by hand or with dipnet along the shallow edges of large water bodies. Calls day or night.
Distribution in Maryland: American bullfrogs can be found throughout Maryland.
For More Information: Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas (MARA) Database Maryland Biodiversity Project - American Bullfrog

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)