SCIENTIC NAME:
Lithobates grylio
STATUS:
Locally common in Lower Coastal Plain and southernmost tier of counties of Dougherty Plain and Southern Pine Plains and Hills. Low Conservation Concern.
DESCRIPTON:
The pig frog (Lithobates grylio.) is green or grey-green in color, with brown or black blotching on the dorsal surface. The belly is light in color and may have dark spots. There may also be a line or row of spots on the back legs. These frogs typically range in size from 3 to 6 inches in length. They have fully webbed feet, a sharply pointed nose, and a large ear tympanum. Male pig frogs have a tympanum that is much larger than the eye, while the females have a comparable sized eye and tympanum.They are easily mistaken for various other species of the genus Lithobates which they share geographic range with, including the bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana). Bullfrogs resemble adult pig frogs but webbing of hind toes does not extend to tip of longest toe as it does on pig frogs. The call of the pig frog is a low grunting sound, giving the frog its common name.
DISTRIBUTION:
Pig frogs are found in the Coastal Plain of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and throughout Florida.
HABITAT:
They inhabit permanent bodies of water wiht emergent vegetation such as ponds, lakes, marshes, cypress bay heads, wet prairies and river swamps throughout their range.
FEEDING HABITS:
The pig frog is an opportunistic feeder and will eat insects, worms, small amphibians, and reptiles.
LIFE HISTORY AND ECOLOGY:
The pig frog breeds from April through August. Fertilization is external. Eggs masses containing up to 10,000 eggs are laid in permanent water. The eggs hatch in several days. The tadpoles may take a year to transform into frogs.
REFERENCES:
Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2012. The Animal Diversity Web (online). http://animaldiversity.org
Mount, R.. 1975. The Reptiles & Amphibians of Alabama. Auburn Printing Co., Auburn, AL.
AUTHOR: Chris Nix, Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
