Subphylum Vertebrata Family Ranidae Scientific name Rana grylio Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Anura Higher classification Rana | |
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Similar Frog, Amphibians, Southern leopard frog, Squirrel tree frog, Lithobates heckscheri | ||
Pig frog
The pig frog (Lithobates grylio) is a species of aquatic frog found in the Southeastern United States, from South Carolina to Texas. Some sources also refer to it as the lagoon frog or the southern bullfrog.
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Taxonomy
Norwegian-American naturalist Leonhard Stejneger described the pig frog in 1901, and it still bears its original name.
Description
The pig frog is green or grey-green in color, with brown or black blotching. It has fully webbed feet, a sharply pointed nose, and large tympana (eardrums). It is easily mistaken for various other species of the genus Lithobates, with which it shares its geographic range, including the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana). Pig frogs grow to a snout to vent length (SVL) of 3.25 to 5.5 in (8.3 to 14.0 cm).
Ecology and behavior
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. Their pig-like grunts can be heard during the warm months of the year.
Diet
Their primary diet is crayfish, but like most bullfrogs, they will consume almost anything they can swallow, including insects, fish, and other frogs.
Reproduction
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 males use to attract females, which sounds somewhat like a pig's grunt.
Conservation status
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.