#Hoplobatrachus #tigerinusHoplobatrachus tigerinus, commonly known as the Indian bullfrog, #wildlife

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, commonly known as the Indian bullfrog, is a large species of fork-tongued frog found in South and Southeast Asia. A relatively large frog, it is normally green in color, although physiological traits vary between populations. Sexual dimorphism exists between males and females. Outside of its native range, H. tigerinus is a rapidly-spreading invasive species. Both adults and tadpoles can severely damage the populations of other frog species. Typically, Indian bullfrogs dwell in wetland environments. Research has been conducted on their ability to control mosquitos.

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus

Breeding male
Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Amphibia
Order:
Anura
Family:
Dicroglossidae
Genus:
Hoplobatrachus
Species:
H. tigerinus
Binomial name
Hoplobatrachus tigerinus
(Daudin, 1803)
Synonyms
Rana tigerina – Daudin, 1802

The Indian bullfrog is a large species of frog. They can grow to be 170 millimetres (6.7 in), with heads generally longer than they are wide, although older individuals tend to have wider heads. Normally green or brown with dark spots, males turn yellow during the breeding season. They tend to have a yellow streak along the spinal region of their back.

Significant variation, in both color and size, exists between different populations, even geographically close ones. A 2012 study found that frogs from different villages in the Jamshoro District of Sindh, Pakistan were consistently different in size and coloration from other local populations. The study suggested that this was caused by food and water quality differences, as well as varying ages.

Their hands are unwebbed, while their feet are essentially fully webbed. Males have nuptial pads (swellings present on the forearms of certain male amphibians used to grasp females for mating) on the first finger and dual blue-colored vocal sacs on either side of the throat. The tail and fins of tadpoles are speckled in black, with tail tips darkly colored.

In males, the tympanum is wider than the eye, while in females the eye is wider than the tympanum. Females are also heavier and longer than males.