Pig Frog (Lithobates grylio)

Description: A large aquatic frog (8.3–16.5 cm; 3.35–6.5 in) typically grayish-green or brown with black mottling across the dorsum. The venter is pale, sometimes with dark spots. Hind legs may display rows of spots or faint striping. Pig Frogs resemble Green Frogs (L. clamitans) and American Bullfrogs (L. catesbeianus), but can be distinguished by the absence of dorsolateral folds and the extensive toe webbing, which reaches the tips of all toes. Males have tympana that are much larger than the eye, while females’ tympana are about equal in size to the eye.

Range and Habitat: It occurs throughout Florida, extending into the Coastal Plain of southern Georgia and southeastern South Carolina. It is strongly associated with permanent water bodies, especially open-water habitats such as ponds, lakes, and marshes.

Habits: Largely aquatic, though individuals may move onto land at night or in wet weather. Breeding occurs from late spring through August. Females lay large egg masses containing up to 10,000 eggs, which hatch within a few days. Tadpoles are large and often require up to a year before metamorphosis. Adults feed on a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial prey, similar to Bullfrogs.

Call: A deep, resonant grunt resembling the sound of a pig, giving the species its common name.

Conservation Status: Considered of conservation concern in some parts of its range. In Georgia, however, populations are locally abundant, and the species is not protected. Habitat loss and wetland degradation remain potential threats.