Food Habits of the Bullfrog in Central Missouri Farm Ponds

The bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana Shaw) is an important, widely distributed game species, but its food habits have not been thoroughly investigated. This paper reports a study of the food habits of bullfrogs in central Missouri. Data were derived from the examination of 455 stomachs of bullfrogs secured from farm ponds between the inclusive dates, April 11, 1950, to October 21, 1951. Eighty-seven stomach samples were collected during 1950 an-d 368 during 1951. Specimens were obtained for almost the entire time that bullfrogs were out of hibernation over a two-year period, which permitted a study of seasonal changes in feeding habits.