Sounds of Rana catesbeiana - American Bullfrog

(=Lithobates catesbeianus)
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Adult Male Calling


Imperial County River Habitat


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information about this frog:

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Advertisement Calls

An advertisement call is the most well-known call of a frog. It is produced by a male frog in order to attract females during the breeding season and to warn other rival males of his presence. Frogs usually make the calls around bodies of water that are suitable for breeding and egg laying. These calls can be heard during the evening and at night, and sometimes during daylight at the peak of the breeding season.

The advertisement call of the American Bullfrog can be described as a loud low-pitched two-part drone or bellow. The calls are made during the day and at night. A sharp low encounter call is also made when adult males come into close contact.

This is a 3 second recording of two advertisement calls of one male made at night on the Colorado River in Imperial County (at the location shown to the left.)

This is a 9 second recording of a short series advertisement calls of one male made at night on the Colorado River in Imperial County.


Alarm Calls

Bullfrogs, primarily juveniles, produce an alarm call, a fast squeak, which is usually made before a frog jumps into the water to escape from danger.
This is a 2 second recording of the alarm call of an adult bullfrog jumping from the shore into a small creek in Stanislaus County during daylight.
(Background sounds include the sound recordist's clothing rustling as he quickly walked up to the creek to startle the frog, and a fly.)

This is a 1 second recording of the alarm call of a juvenile bullfrog jumping from the shore into a small creek in Stanislaus County during daylight.
This is a 1 second recording of the alarm call of a juvenile bullfrog jumping into an irrigation canal in Sacramento County during daylight.

 
Short Video
A large male Bullfrog calls at night from a lake.

You can listen to more recordings of American Bullfrogs on this cd:

Carlos Davidson - Frog and Toad Calls of the Pacific Coast - Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology





 
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