Doug Von Gausig wrote:
> At 12:27 AM 6/28/2003 -0400, Walter Knapp wrote:
>
>> It was loaded with frogs of several species.
>
>
>>Would not want to pass a bullfrog by and later find it had never been
>>reported in that county.
>
>
> This makes me wonder why the Bullfrogs in your area have not extirpated all
> the others frog species. Out west here that's a real problem - Bullfrogs
> get established as an invasive and they eat all others (except Wodehouse's
> Toads in my area). It must be because the other frogs in your area
> co-evolved with Bullfrogs and therefor have natural defenses, whereas in
> the west Bullfrogs are an invasive and the native species didn't evolve
> with any Bullfrog defenses?
I'm aware of the problems of bullfrogs elsewhere. But not as to the fine
details.
Bullfrogs here occupy a niche that's not occupied by too many other
frogs, and those are fairly robust ranids. Everything fits together, or
more like apart. Many of our frogs only are in the water to breed. This
may actually be a clue, as the areas where bullfrogs are a particular
problem are much drier, so the native frogs tend to stay in the water
more and have much less cover. Bullfrogs are a pretty aquatic species.
They are just as migratory here as elsewhere.
Walt
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