Banded Bullfrog (Kaloula pulchra)

OTHER NAMES: Chubby Frog, Asian Painted Frog, Rice Frog Bubble Frog
Latin Etymology: Kaloula (?) pulchra (?)

Young Banded Bullfrog (Kaloula pulchra) at Siem Reap, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: 8cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Sometimes you go looking for wildlife, sometimes you find it obstructing the outdoor shoe cupboard at 5am while setting off to see different wildlife.  I have historically terrible luck in seeing amphibians internationally, and in fact this was my very first outside the UK!  The circumstances were a bit perculiar; not knowing whether it was poisonous or not (yes, but not in a dangerous to humans way it turns out according to the internet) I had to carefully nudge it with the shoe-cupboard door until it decided to move enough for me to retrieve my footware.

Related Species:
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Kaloula
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer: ហ៊ីង ("Hing")

- A common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One seen at Siem Reap

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

OTHER NAMES: Bullfrog
Latin Etymology:  Lithobates ("Rock climber") catesbeianus (for Naturalist Mark Catesby)

Adult American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) at Harrier Lake, St Charles, Illinois - August 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 175-500g  /  Length: 9-15cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A large species of frog whose native range is in the Eastern United States but is a major invasive species in various locations around the world.  They are ambush predators and will target anything that they can overpower and fit in their mouth, which can include such ambitious targets as small reptiles, small birds, scorpions, tarantulas and crayfish, as well as unusually for frogs in North America, aquatic species.

Related Species:
Order: Anura 
Family: Ranidae 
Genus: Lithobates 
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Found in most of the Eastern Lower 48, Invasive in much of West
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in Illinois

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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