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maineflowergirl

Bullfrog question: remove them??

maineflowergirl
18 years ago

I read that bullfrogs will kill other frogs and I am wondering if we should try to remove the couple that arrived at our large frog pond for the first time this year. I definitely see the male bullfrog and I THINK I see the female there too, though she looks a lot like a green frog. I have read about how to tell the difference though.

It will be too late to prevent them from laying the eggs, but if they are capable of wiping out the other frog species, I wouldn't want them there, although I know this is nature and nature does as it wishes. But bullfrogs ARE native to Maine, so maybe they will only kill some of the other frogs and all will be well. I have read on the net about places out west where non-native bullfrogs HAVE wiped out resident frogs in areas.

The other frogs that use our pond are wood frogs, peepers, green frogs, American toads and gray tree frogs. The wood frogs only use it for a few days early in the spring and then just head out to the woods. I see a few around the edge of the yard now and again.

Joanie D.

Comments (7)

  • envirocop
    18 years ago

    They are unlikely to really wipe out the other frogs. If you do notice dwindling #s you can jump into the food web too and eat a bullfrog. MMmm, frog legs...

  • maineflowergirl
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks, envirocop. There is a goodly amount of meat on those big bullfrog legs, too! But I think I will pass. We have some very active owls around here and I am thinking they may stop by the pond for a bite to eat and land on this big dude.

    I love listening to the frogs at night, particarly the peepers and gray tree frogs. It's LOUD but also soothing somehow. The gray tree frogs sound "snore-y" to me. That bullfrog...wow, that's loud, like a fog horn. We rented a camp on a pond once with a large bullfrog and I actually couldn't sleep because of him. But the one we have isn't as vocal, at least in terms of frequency.

    I also found the Reptiles & Amphibians Forum and posted about the bullfrogs there too.

    Joanie D.

  • bulldinkie
    18 years ago

    They say they also eat your fish.My sisternlaw had her pond outside her bay window.she looked out one day a bullfrog had a pretty big sized koi in its mouth.I have a couple different kinds living in mine.

  • jillmcm
    18 years ago

    Given that bullfrogs are native to your area, I'd leave them, or you risk disrupting your local ecology more than the frogs ever would. My grandfather always had them in his pond and there was never any lack of other frogs. I think they're really only a problem when they're introduced into areas where the native frogs are not accustomed to them and are more easily preyed upon.

  • dgower82
    18 years ago

    I know herons will eat them, or you could. That's why they were introduced out west. Go froglegs

  • maineflowergirl
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks, everyone. I think I will just relax and see what all develops at the pond. That's been pretty much the way I have been from the beginning of the pond, though I have planted things around the pond.

    Joanie D.

  • Mary Prefontaine
    8 years ago

    Hi,

    before I start i wanted to explain that i brought in bullfrog tadpoles for my pond back when I planned on having a natural eco-friendly pond. But this year I decided to clear out my pond and begin breeding some fancy goldfish which I'm buying as smaller 1 inch fish. My dilemma is that although all my bullfrogs have since dispersed I only one remains )probably a territorial thing since my pond is only 12' by 8' by 2.5' ft

    He/ she is over half grown(1yr old) and now eating my young newly purchased fish. (i witnessed this myself). I thought maybe he also had left since i had not seen or heard him jump into the pond in over two months. But yet i was still having my juvenile fish disappearing, so I put a net across the whole pond to prevent any early morning wading birds and rule them out as the culprit as I also had a very large fancy goldfish disappear suddenly also

    . Last night i finally saw the bullfrog just floating on the surface of the pond and went to try and net him, but I've been working on this for over 6 months and Im sure he/she is on to me at this point (no one said their stupid)!

    I had it blinded with a large flashlight as this is how we used to catch them as kids and simply sneak up and grab them by hand. Today, I have removed all possible hiding spots within the pond and covered up every possible crevice it may be diving straight into when it knows I'm nearby as to keep it from evading me tonight hopefully! I used to feed them live crickets which they would happily jump up and feed on, but and even that will not bring it back to the surface to feed.. He must of jumped directly under one of these hiding spots and not even knew there were crickets in there as it probably couldn't see them from his/her hiding spot.

    My dilemma is. what is the best method for doing a catch and release on him/her if its already trying to evade me so well at that I have a net, and will go into the pond as he should be easy to spot between my flashlight and interior underwater lights

    I'm sure that during the day it must be staying under a large boulder along the pond somewhere because I've done a complete sweep of the pond for as long as I could prior to the water turning too murky from all my searching and moving of potted plants and such.

    I'm sure its going to show itself eventually again. Hopefully tonight as I plan on leaving the net off until I'm done catching him during the evenings And I need to catch it, as its getting very costly to keep buying these breeding young fish over and over again.. Any ideas for this smart bullfrog? I obviously dont want to hurt him, although a nice foreleg dinner would suite mefine, if I thought it were big enough and worth prepping it for dinner lol

    Thanks mitzi

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