Pig frog or bullfrog

[Gail Futoran]

My husband, who usually leaves for work before dawn, reported seeing a large
green frog in the driveway several days ago. Coming home late last night
from an evening with friends, I saw the culprit myself, on the driveway in
the lit area. He's solid dull green, about 6-7" long, and looks like a
photo of a pig frog I found in several of my books. I approached him slowly
from behind, and suddenly he noticed me and flew off into the foliage beside
the driveway, leaving a trail of fluid (presumably urine?) behind. I am
protective of frogs, toads, and snakes (even rat snakes, which tend to eat
my Barn Swallows :( ), so I wasn't trying to hurt him, just get him out of
the way so I could put my car in the garage.

I suspect he's keeping my minnow population down in the inground pond. I
doubt he can get up into the stock tank ponds - there's no access. So far I
haven't noticed any goldfish loss in the inground pond.

Gail
near San Antonio TX USA

[Hal]

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:56:22 GMT, "Gail Futoran"
> wrote:

>My husband, who usually leaves for work before dawn, reported seeing a large
>green frog in the driveway several days ago. Coming home late last night
>from an evening with friends, I saw the culprit myself, on the driveway in
>the lit area. He's solid dull green, about 6-7" long, and looks like a
>photo of a pig frog I found in several of my books.

Never heard of one before, but surely you could tell if it called.
http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=AR0029

Regards,

Hal

[Gail Futoran]

"Hal" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:56:22 GMT, "Gail Futoran"
> > wrote:
>
>>My husband, who usually leaves for work before dawn, reported seeing a
>>large
>>green frog in the driveway several days ago. Coming home late last night
>>from an evening with friends, I saw the culprit myself, on the driveway in
>>the lit area. He's solid dull green, about 6-7" long, and looks like a
>>photo of a pig frog I found in several of my books.
>
> Never heard of one before, but surely you could tell if it called.
> http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=AR0029
>
> Regards,
>
> Hal

I have a fairly noisy rural back yard. :) I don't usually pay attention to
natural sounds. They're just there, and I enjoy them. I do have tree frogs
and toads, and other small green frogs (not sure what they are).

I hadn't heard of pig frogs, either, until I looked up frogs resembling the
one I spotted in two books:
1) National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians, Alfred
A. Knopf, New York, 22nd printing 2005. Plate on p. 188, description on .
374.
2) Texas Monthly Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas, Gulf
Publishing Co., Houston TX, 1987. Plate 14, description p. 46.

Apparently pig frogs are different from bullfrogs, and are often mistaken
for bullfrogs. To me, they're just big green/ish frogs. :)

Gail
near San Antonio TX Zone 8 USA