*The colored areas of the map above represent parishes with currently known records for the given species (Source: Jeff Boundy, LA Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries). By no means does it represent the full range of the species in the state, nor does it necessarily mean that a species can be found throughout the parish with the record. This is provided as a guide to where you might be able to find these species in the state and to aid in identification. A descriptive explanation of the range of each species can be found in the text below.
Other Common Names:
Subspecies: No subspecies recognized.
Adult Description: A large, robust frog (maximum 6.4”) with variable coloration of olive to dark brown. Heads are often green. Rounded dark spots are sometimes present on back. Adults may have tan stripes on sides of back, but much more prominent and consistent in juveniles, but juveniles usually lack much dark spotting. Skin is relatively smooth with no raised areas of skin on sides of back unlike North American Green Frogs, but they do have conspicuous raised skin around eardrum. Webbing of hind feet reaches end of toes unlike American Bullfrogs. More pointed snout than North American Bullfrogs. Thigh is striped unlike North American Bullfrogs. Hindlimbs with dark markings, but rarely crossbars. Belly is usually white, but some individuals have varying degrees of dark mottling present.
Similar Species:
Species Range: Southern South Carolina south through peninsular Florida, west to southeastern Texas.
Louisiana Range: Southern third of state, including Florida Parishes
Adult Habitat: Large permanent bodies of freshwater, often with emergent and floating vegetation, such as cypress lakes, flatwood ponds, swamps, and marshes.
Natural History: Pig Frogs can be active day or night but are most active between dusk and dawn during warm, humid weather. They are indiscriminate and voracious feeders, taking any moving prey they can fit into their mouths, which includes various invertebrates, especially crawfish, but also documented are vertebrates such as fish, salamanders, frogs, lizards, and snakes. Snakes, alligators, wading birds, and mammals are likely predators. They breed in permanent water from March to August, when females lay 8,000–15,000 eggs in a surface film. Eggs hatch in 2–3 days and the timing of tadpoles to metamorphosis is unknown, but it is likely that overwintering is common, especially for late breeders, before transformation the following spring or summer. Maturity likely takes 1–2 years. Wild longevity is likely 5–6 years.
Call: A low-pitched guttural grunt likened to a pig grunt usually repeated 2–3 times, but sometimes 7 or more in warm weather.
Best Time and Place to Observe: It is easy to hear their distinctive pig-like grunts in appropriate habitats. It is a bit harder to find and approach them, however, since they are highly aquatic and often live in areas tough to access, even with a boat. In some places, like in flatwood ponds and ditches in the southern Florida Parishes, they can be observed within or on floating vegetation from land or boardwalks, particularly at night.
Global Conservation Status: Pig Frogs have a relatively wide distribution in the southeastern United States and a presumed large population, and thus, are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Their NatureServe Global Conservation Status Rank is G5 (Secure).
Federal Conservation Status: None.
Louisiana Conservation Status: Pig Frogs are a game animal in Louisiana, with an unlimited legal harvest permitted in most public waters in all months except April and May with a basic fishing license. Individual Pig Frogs, however, must be a minimum of 3 inches snout vent length when taken in public waters.
Author's Remarks: In Louisiana, I have only detected this species at five locations, Cypress Island Preserve (Lake Martin) in St. Martin Parish, Big Branch Marsh NWR in St. Tammany Parish, Jean Lafitte NHP in Jefferson Parish, and in the southern Atchafalaya Basin at Perched Lake and Old River.
