Though I will never tire of watching a leopard lazing in a marula or the juddering ribcage of a lion as he belts out a thunderous roar there are also the smaller aspects of a drive that can be just as exciting. For instance, and I know this may be an extreme example but stay with me here, finding a frog that you’ve never actually seen before!
The day was slowly drawing to a close and we were looking to find a spot to hop off the vehicle, stretch our legs and have a sundowner in the bush. It’s a period in the day when everything feels lazy, the reddening sun bathes the landscape in gold and it just feels right to slow right down and take it all in.
Golden hour, that perfect moment before the sun sets on another day.
As we rounded a bend something caught my eye, something strange, something quite bizarre. Not wanting to miss something potentially new I brought the vehicle to an abrupt halt and quickly backed up. And there, perched on the edge of a small pool of muddy water, sat a sight of spectacular proportions, an African Bullfrog!
A bullfrog gazed placidly back at us from the edge of her waterhole.
At the time, besides yelling that this is the biggest frog that we get here at Londolozi, I flung myself from the saddle to try and get a quick shot. I quickly began to realise that I really didn’t know too much about these gargantuan amphibians. And so, I decided to do a bit more reading. In no particular order here are four pretty awesome facts about the African Bullfrog.
- This particular frog was a female, based on its colouration and relatively small size. This is unusual in the amphibian world where the females usually outsize the males by a significant margin. Bullfrog males can be monstrous, reaching up to 25cm/10” in length and weighing up to 1.8kg/4pounds! This makes the next fact pretty terrifying…
- They have teeth! Ok, they don’t really. But they have three structures called odontodes on their bottom jaw; toothlike growths that grow superficially on the top of the skin. These allow them to gain a firm grip on their unfortunate victims…
African bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus).
- And their victims are numerous. Bullfrogs are known to be voracious predators, eating almost anything they can subdue and swallow! They will eat snakes, reptiles, amphibians, insects, mice, other small mammals, or even small birds.
These croaking cannibals are not above eating each other, and it is common for a bullfrog tadpole to start eating its brothers and sisters as it emerges from the egg. A father bullfrog will sometimes make a meal of some of the eggs or tadpoles he is guarding!
- Raising the hatchlings is a patriarchal affair and a male bullfrog, provided he is not snacking on his offspring, can be a fantastic father. Post-mating, the female will leave the male to the task of guarding the brood. If the pool that the tadpoles (sometimes up to 4000 of them) are born into is drying up the father will dig a trench to a neighbouring pool to save them. Other than that, the father protects the pool against marauding frogs as well as carnivorous birds and any such animal that poses a threat to his young. And these dads are not afraid to punch well above their weight, it being commonplace to see these monsters soaring majestically through the air, mouth agape, razor-sharp (not quite) odontodes bared to partially ingest the toe of a wellington boot or unwary frogger’s finger.
Male African giant bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) in shallow water, South Africa
African Bullfrogs are one of the rarer species we find here at Londolozi and this female must have just emerged from a period of aestivation (essentially hibernation but for amphibians) where she had waited out the dry winter months buried somewhere around a foot deep in a cocoon of her own skin!
During the rainy season, African bullfrogs live and breed in seasonal pools that develop. When these pools eventually dry up, the frogs will burrow into the mud and go into estivation (a type of hibernation caused by heat and drought) until the rains return.
It was a sighting that lasted only minutes but it’s minutes like those that can add that extra dimension to a game drive, that extra element of perhaps the lesser cared for yet still fascinating aspects of the bush.
This frog is a real terror of smaller creatures! I knew of the behaviour of the father, it is known as one of the best animals that provide parental care. Impressive!
Kyle, I remember seeing my first bullfrogs after hearing them, in SabiSand. A few were in a small pan and as I was watching, one jumped out and I just froze. It must have been a female as she was big and fat! Last year I was surprised on my walk back to my room by a snake on the path. Luckily Kirst saw it and moved me out of its way. I don’t remember if it was a python or something else, but I can live without encountering another one close up. I think I’ll take my chances with the frogs or a caterpillar.
Kyle, thanks for the interesting facts about the African Bullfrogs. I enjoyed your pictures as well.
It’s always wonderful to read/see stories about smaller critters. While I love the action of the big guys, and the to and fro of the birdies, I’m more and more attracted to the others. Good job.
Lovely! The little things are just as nice! I was amazed seeing a baby kameleon once during an eveningdrive. It had turned white already……….
Wow Kyle, what a fantastic sight! I have seen a bullfrog but I haven’t known much about them. So this was very interesting to read. And the photos are also great. Thanks!
I love this blog about a small critter. I could feel the excitement in Kyle’s words as he described his new-found knowledge of African Bullfrogs. As a wildlife photographer, it’s a great reminder to always look down and up as well as straight ahead so as not to miss anything.
Now I want to see one in real life. Surely a frog that size must have inspired a vintage sci-fi horror film once or twice.
Good pictures Kyle and fascinating story on the bull frogs. They are huge and I’m sure they not so friendly. The Father eating the off spring is cannibalism and maybe that is also to make sure there are not to many bull frogs.
Thanks for the bullfrog information Kyle. Really very interesting creatures. I actually love frogs. Unfortunately you do not get to see them often. A really nice find on your part.
Well done Kyle! Your insights are amazing…from the largest to the smallest of creatures! Great photos too!
What a great education on the Bullfrog — fascinating. Thank you the great photos and write up. I look forward to seeing one next time we come.
I’ll never forget my first dung beetle rolling dung! But I love the little critters as much as the big ones, which I am sure will irritate my vehicle mates this next trip, as usual:-)
Thanks for then fascinating account and accompanying photos Kyle. Really cool learning about this rare and perhaps under appreciated member of the Londolozi animal family!!
I loved your humorous account of the Giant African Bull from Kyle! They certainly sound pretty mean for their size as didn’t realize they can take on snakes etc. 😳 What a great find for your guests and another blog filled with interesting facts. Thanks 🙏🏻