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TEAM TALK
The Cutting Edge
By Mariette
MY FROG PRINCE(S)
“The Frog Prince” … A tale where a Princess befriended a Frog Prince who
then magically transformed in to a handsome real human Prince after she
kissed him … her own Prince Charming!
How many of us wished that this might very well be the case?
I am fortunate to have two of these very special “Princes” in our collection
at the Snake Park at Bayworld in Port Elizabeth. “Pyxie” and “Sprite” are
African Bullfrogs (Pyxicephalus adspersus) who joined the Park as tiny
froglets, no bigger than 3cm in diameter, but who very soon grew in to
handsome adult frogs.
Bullfrogs are also known as “the pixie frog” due to its Latin name
(Pyxicephalus adspersus). These magnificent frogs are olive green in
colour. The males usually have a yellow or orange throat, whilst the fe-
males have a cream-coloured throat. Male bullfrogs grow to be larger
than females (usually the males weigh in at an impressive 2 kg, whereas
the females are approximately halve the size of the males).
These impressive frogs are carnivorous, which means that they get their food from killing and eating other animals.
They are quite voracious feeders and will happily ambush their prey and feed on small rodents, insects, other amphibi-
ans, reptiles and even small birds! They are also cannibalistic and
often the males will feast on their young tadpoles. These frogs
have sharp odontodes (sharp, tooth-like projections in the lower
jaw) and can bite when provoked or handled.
Bullfrogs can withstand the harshest of environments and can
easily live up to 35+ years. They can remain dormant (estivate)
under the ground during dry seasons. By doing this, they remain
cool and damp, although they can not feed during this time. This
type of behaviour is triggered by excessive heat and/or dry condi-
tions. During this dormant state, their breathing and metabolism
will slow down and their body temperature will drop. This will
give them enough energy to survive for long periods without
food. As soon as the rainy season starts, these frogs will emerge
from their underground hiding place. They will gather in water
and spend a short, but active season feeding and mating.
“Pyxie” and “Sprite” are both males and therefore do not share
an enclosure as these animals are quite aggressive (dominant
behaviour) towards one another. Usually the larger male will
dominate the smaller male by displaying aggressive behaviour. In
nature they often injure (and even kill!) the smaller males.
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