How to Identify Bullfrogs' Eggs
The bullfrog is the largest species of frog native to the United States, with some reaching lengths of up to 8 inches. The amphibian gets its name from its distinct call, which can remind you of a roaring bull. Bullfrogs live in most of the country, and unlike many frog species, bullfrogs reproduce throughout most of the summer months, although the female frog will only lay her eggs one time each year. You can identify a bullfrog's eggs by knowing where to search for them and then recognizing the eggs based on certain features you must look for.
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Instructions
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Look for bullfrog eggs in the shallows of ponds, lakes, swamps and rivers. These are the haunts of the bullfrogs, which tend to stay close to the shore in search of insects, crayfish, other frogs and whatever creatures they can swallow. Consider the water temperature where you search, since even though bullfrogs prefer warm waters, they will lay their eggs in waters a bit cooler, since water too warm will make the eggs develop abnormally. Areas of a pond or swamp that receive ample shade are ideal for this purpose.
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Walk slowly along the shoreline and look for a mass of what appears to be a gelatin-like, slimy substance. The female bullfrog lays her eggs in sheets about 2 feet in diameter. If you find a sheet of this substance, look closely at it for small individual eggs, which will be black and white and encompassed by the mass. You will note that typically these sheets of eggs attach to some type of aquatic vegetation like a lily pad or some kind of wetland grass.
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Avoid disturbing the eggs, but get as close as you can to identify them. The female has recently finished laying sheets of eggs you find floating on the surface, since they will sink into the water soon after the female has finished laying them. Normally the eggs will exist below the water. The best way to identify the eggs as bullfrog eggs is by their sheer numbers: 12,000 to 20,000. Do not bother looking for the bullfrogs close by, as the frogs neither guard the eggs, nor take care of the young once the tadpoles emerge from the eggs.
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