The American Bullfrog is a large amphibian known for its deep, resonant call. While native to eastern North America, this species has established populations in Utah’s aquatic environments. It is now a common sight in the state’s permanent water bodies, including ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers. Finding this frog requires understanding its legal status, preferred habitat, and geographic concentrations.
Understanding Bullfrog Status and Regulations
The American Bullfrog is designated as a non-native, invasive species in Utah. It poses a threat to the state’s natural ecosystems, contributing to the decline of native amphibians like the Northern Leopard Frog and the Utah Tiger Salamander through predation and competition. Bullfrogs are voracious predators with a broad diet, consuming other frogs, small fish, and even mice.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) encourages the removal of bullfrogs and has placed no limits or closed seasons on their collection. A specific hunting license is not required to take bullfrogs, but a fishing license is recommended if using fishing gear to avoid issues if a fish is accidentally caught. The UDWR promotes removal as a conservation measure, even publicizing tips on how to catch and prepare them. It is illegal to transport live bullfrogs; collected specimens must be dead before being moved from the capture location.
Essential Habitat Characteristics
Bullfrogs require permanent water sources to complete their life cycle, as their tadpoles can take up to two years to fully metamorphose into adults. They favor habitats characterized by still or slow-moving water, including lakes, marshes, permanent ponds, and backwater areas of rivers. Man-made water features like irrigation canals and ditches also provide suitable environments for them to thrive.
The presence of thick, emergent vegetation, such as cattails and reeds, is a strong indicator of a potential bullfrog habitat. This vegetation provides camouflage from predators, offers basking sites, and serves as a substrate for egg-laying. They are most easily found during the warmer months, typically from late spring through early summer, which is their primary breeding season in Utah. During the winter, bullfrogs become inactive and burrow into the mud at the bottom of a water body to overwinter.
Primary Geographic Distribution in Utah
Bullfrogs are broadly distributed across Utah, particularly in the lower elevation areas along the Wasatch Front and in the state’s southern regions. A significant population exists in the Salt Lake Valley, concentrated in the numerous ponds and wetlands associated with the Jordan River corridor and its surrounding canals. These urban waterways offer a stable, slow-moving environment with plentiful vegetation that supports large populations.
Further north, the extensive freshwater marshes near the Great Salt Lake are well-known bullfrog hotspots, especially the complexes near the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. While the refuge itself is dedicated to native species, the surrounding marshes provide an ideal environment for the invasive frogs. In the southern part of the state, Washington County—specifically the St. George area and the Virgin River basin—hosts established breeding populations due to the warmer climate and numerous reservoirs and agricultural ditches. Bullfrogs can be found in many local ponds and marshes across the Wasatch Front, and a quick evening trip during the breeding season will often reveal their presence through their loud, unmistakable calls.