Wanted: Invasive American bullfrogs
American bullfrogs, which have taken up residence in the Mission Valley, are a menace to native amphibians.
“Wanted: Invasive American Bullfrog” reads a poster recently distributed by the CSKT Wildlife Management Program, in tandem with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Montana Conservation Corps.
Those sonorous voices that emanate from ponds in the evening are signs that the big frogs are invading Flathead Reservation to the detriment of other native species. According to the poster, bullfrogs measure four to six inches long, making them much larger than any native amphibians.
Their tympanum, or eardrum, is as large or larger than their eye.
According to the poster, bullfrogs are voracious, and will eat anything that fits in their big mouths, including birds, snakes, turtles, fish and other amphibians. Biologists say that over-large appetite is contributing to declines in the populations of several native species, including northern leopard frogs, Columbia spotted frogs, Sierran tree frogs and western toads.
Listen to a bullfrog call and report sightings online at linktr.ee/MissionValleyBullfrogs, or call the CSKT Wildlife Program at 406-883-2888.