Introduced American Bullfrog distribution and diets in Grand Teton National Park
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Abstract
Introduced American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) have been present in Grand Teton National Park since approximately the 1950s, but little is known about their distribution and potential impacts. In this study, we surveyed the current bullfrog distribution and spatial overlap with sympatric native amphibians in the park, and characterized post-metamorphic bullfrog diets from July – September 2015. Despite surveys in multiple large rivers and floodplain habitats, we only documented bullfrogs in a geothermal pond and 5 km of stream channel immediately downstream of this pond. In these waters, bullfrogs overlapped with native amphibians at the downstream end of their distribution, and we did not document native amphibians in bullfrog stomach contents. Larger bullfrogs (SVL ≥ 96 mm) primarily consumed native rodents (especially meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus), while smaller bullfrogs frequently consumed native invertebrates and less frequently consumed non-native invertebrates and fish. Taken together, these data indicate that the distribution and implications of the bullfrog invasion in Grand Teton National Park are currently localized to a small area, so these bullfrogs should therefore be vulnerable to eradication.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Introduced American Bullfrog distribution and diets in Grand Teton National Park |
| Series title | Northwest Science |
| DOI | 10.3955/046.091.0305 |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue | 91 |
| Year Published | 2017 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Northwest Science Association |
| Contributing office(s) | Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center |
| Description | 13 p. |
| First page | 244 |
| Last page | 256 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| Other Geospatial | Grand Teton National Park |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |