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North American Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Amphibian · family Ranidae · order Anura

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

North American Bullfrog
Photo: Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
38 states[3]
Longest recorded life
16 years[4]

The North American Bullfrog is a large frog in the family Ranidae, also called the American bullfrog[5][6]. NatureServe ranks it as Secure worldwide[2], and it is native to 38 US states and territories, mostly in the East, South and Midwest[3].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the bullfrog a global rank of G5 (Secure) and a United States rank of N5 (Secure)[2][7]. The IUCN Red List category is Least concern[8]. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. State ranks can differ from the national rank, and the table on this page lists each one[9].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[7] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[8] Least concern
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[10] >1,000,000 individuals

Where North American Bullfrog lives

NatureServe lists the bullfrog as native in 38 US states and territories, including Texas, Florida, Ohio, New York, Minnesota and Maine[3]. People have brought it to places outside its home range, and it now lives as an introduced species in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington[11]. Observers report it most often on GBIF in California, Texas, Ohio, Virginia and New York, but this follows where people look, not how many frogs live there[12].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: native, state rank S5MEWisconsin: native, state rank S3WIVermont: native, state rank S5VTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5NHWashington: introduced, state rank SNAWAIdaho: introduced, state rank SNAIDMontana: introduced, state rank SNAMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: native, state rank S4MNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S4MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S5MAOregon: introduced, state rank SNAORNevada: introduced, state rank SNANVWyoming: native, state rank S5WYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5SDIowa: native, state rank S5IAIndiana: native, state rank S5INOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S5PANew Jersey: native, state rank S5NJConnecticut: native, state rank S5CTRhode Island: native, state rank S5RICalifornia: introduced, state rank SNACAUtah: introduced, state rank SNAUTColorado: introduced, state rank SNACONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank S5MOKentucky: native, state rank S5KYWest Virginia: native, state rank S5WVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S5MDDelaware: native, state rank S5DEArizona: introduced, state rank SNAAZNew Mexico: introduced, state rank SNANMKansas: native, state rank S5KSArkansas: native, state rank S5ARTennessee: native, state rank S5TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S5NCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S5SCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S4DCOklahoma: native, state rank SNROKLouisiana: native, state rank S5LAMississippi: native, state rank S5MSAlabama: native, state rank S5ALGeorgia: native, state rank S5GAHawaii: introduced, state rank SNAHITexas: native, state rank S5TXFlorida: native, state rank S4FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[9].
Show state ranks (49 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5Secure
ArizonaSNANot Applicable
ArkansasS5Secure
CaliforniaSNANot Applicable
ColoradoSNANot Applicable
ConnecticutS5Secure
DelawareS5Secure
District of ColumbiaS4Apparently Secure
FloridaS4Apparently Secure
GeorgiaS5Secure
HawaiiSNANot Applicable
IdahoSNANot Applicable
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS5Secure
IowaS5Secure
KansasS5Secure
KentuckyS5Secure
LouisianaS5Secure
MaineS5Secure
MarylandS5Secure
MassachusettsS5Secure
MichiganS4Apparently Secure
MinnesotaS4Apparently Secure
MississippiS5Secure
MissouriS5Secure
MontanaSNANot Applicable
NebraskaS5Secure
NevadaSNANot Applicable
New HampshireS5Secure
New JerseyS5Secure
New MexicoSNANot Applicable
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaS5Secure
OhioS5Secure
OklahomaSNRNot Ranked
OregonSNANot Applicable
PennsylvaniaS5Secure
Rhode IslandS5Secure
South CarolinaS5Secure
South DakotaS5Secure
TennesseeS5Secure
TexasS5Secure
UtahSNANot Applicable
VermontS5Secure
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonSNANot Applicable
West VirginiaS5Secure
WisconsinS3Vulnerable
WyomingS5Secure

Habitat

Bullfrogs live in and around still or slow water such as ponds, marshes, swamps, lake edges, stream banks and even irrigation ditches, especially where lots of plants grow in the water[13]. NatureServe also records wetlands with shrubs or trees, rivers, creeks and both deep and shallow water[14]. In wet weather they may wander away from water and turn up in short lived pools[13]. Most stay in one pond or a group of nearby ponds during a season, but one may shift up to a mile or more between years[13].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[14]

Size, diet and lifespan

Adult bullfrogs are meat eaters that take insects and other small animals without backbones as well as animals with backbones, basically anything they can catch and swallow[15][16]. Tadpoles feed on algae, bits of plants, floating debris and tiny water creatures[15]. A typical bullfrog is about 20 cm (8 in) long[17]. Each female produces 1 to 2 clutches, or batches, a year, and the young hatch in 4 to 20 days[18]. Females reach breeding age at about 1,277 days[19]. The longest recorded lifespan is 16 years in captivity[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[17] 20 cm (8 in)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 16 years (captivity)
Gestation or incubation[20] 4 days
Female maturity[19] 1,277 days (about 3.5 years)
Food habits[16] Carnivore, Invertivore
Migration[21] non-migrant, local migrant

When to look for it

In summer, bullfrogs move and breed mostly at dusk and at night, though you can hear them calling in the daytime too[22]. NatureServe calls them crepuscular, which means active around dawn and dusk[23]. In cold winter months they slow down and rest at the bottom of pools or under cover near water[22]. In northern areas, breeding happens mostly from May to July[18], and GBIF records peak in May, June and July[24].

January: 1,125 recordsJanFebruary: 1,931 recordsFebMarch: 6,608 recordsMarApril: 14,625 recordsAprMay: 17,719 recordsMayJune: 16,977 recordsJunJuly: 15,799 recordsJulAugust: 14,960 recordsAugSeptember: 13,496 recordsSepOctober: 6,536 recordsOctNovember: 1,951 recordsNovDecember: 1,458 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[24].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January1,125
February1,931
March6,608
April14,625
May17,719
June16,977
July15,799
August14,960
September13,496
October6,536
November1,951
December1,458

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record North American Bullfrog as present in 42 park units[25]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 18 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: California, Texas, Ohio, Virginia, New York[12]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the North American Bullfrog endangered?
No. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure)[2]. The IUCN category is Least concern[8].
Where do bullfrogs live in the US?
They are native in 38 US states and territories across the East, South and Midwest[3]. They have been introduced in western states such as California, Oregon and Arizona, and in Hawaii[11].
What do bullfrogs eat?
Adults eat almost any animal they can catch and swallow, from insects to animals with backbones[15]. Tadpoles eat algae, plant bits and tiny water creatures[15].
How big do bullfrogs get?
NatureServe records a typical length of 20 cm (8 in)[17].
How long do bullfrogs live?
The longest recorded lifespan is 16 years in captivity[4]. This is a record, not a typical lifespan.

Facts and sources

  1. North American Bullfrog is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for North American Bullfrog: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists North American Bullfrog as native in 38 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 16 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. North American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is a amphibian in the family Ranidae, order Anura. NatureServe Explorer
  6. Other English names listed by NatureServe for North American Bullfrog: American bullfrog, American Bullfrog, Bullfrog, Ouaouaron. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  8. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe state ranks for North American Bullfrog (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe lists North American Bullfrog as introduced (not native) in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington. NatureServe Explorer
  12. US states with the most GBIF observation records of North American Bullfrog: California, Texas, Ohio, Virginia, New York. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  13. NatureServe notes on habitat for North American Bullfrog. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Habitat types NatureServe records for North American Bullfrog: Temporary pool, Herbaceous wetland, Scrub-shrub wetland, Forested wetland, Riparian, Big river, Medium river, Creek, Moderate gradient, Low gradient, Pool, Deep water, Shallow water. NatureServe Explorer
  15. NatureServe notes on food for North American Bullfrog. NatureServe Explorer
  16. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore, Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  17. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 20 cm (8 in). NatureServe Explorer
  18. NatureServe notes on reproduction for North American Bullfrog. NatureServe Explorer
  19. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 1,277 days (about 3.5 years). AnAge
  20. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 4 days. AnAge
  21. NatureServe migration category for North American Bullfrog: non-migrant, local migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  22. NatureServe notes on phenology for North American Bullfrog. NatureServe Explorer
  23. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Hibernates/aestivates, Circadian, Nocturnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  24. GBIF observation records of North American Bullfrog in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  25. NPSpecies park lists recording North American Bullfrog as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.