Reptiles and Amphibians - invasive

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) on Jun 1, 2023

Submitter does not have a specimen

Description of specimen

Tadpoles in water hyacinth container at Garland Nursery.

Commentary

Thank you for your report! It's quite likely these are bullfrogs as they are pretty common in the Willamette Valley. The Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife has a fact sheet about bullfrogs and actions that can be taken at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy/invasive_species/docs/bullfrog_fact_sheet.pdf. There are some more control tips at https://www.denverpost.com/2019/07/03/boulder-county-invasive-american-bullfrogs/. Your report will be incorporated into our statewide invasives database, iMapInvasives, and will contribute to our understanding of the distribution of bullfrogs in Oregon.

Lindsey Wise
June 8, 2023, 2:39 a.m.

Resources

Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife bullfrog fact sheet

Location

Hi, I can't be certain, but I think there may be bullfrog tadpoles in the water hyacinth container at Garland Nursery. I saw them on Monday. I am reporting this because two years ago I bought water hyacinths from that nursery and I ended up with 8 juvenile bullfrogs in my pond the following year. It took me a while to catch them all. I do not want to think that bullfrogs are being spread by sale of the plants. Of course, I cannot be certain as I cannot identify bullfrogs from tadpoles. I am sorry, I did not take a photograph.

Expert Reviewer

Mrs. Lindsey Wise
Oregon Biodiversity Information Center, inr.oregonstate.edu/orbic
Oregon iMapInvasives
Institute for Natural Resources
Portland State University

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