important members of their ecosystem, helping to control the populations of the insects and other small animals that they eat. They play a vital role in maintaining the balance of their wetland habitats. The percentage of Pig frogs' prey items varies throughout the year, most likely due to the availability of resources. Reproduction They breed from April to August, laying their eggs in large surface films, usually over vegetation. The eggs hatch in several days, and the tadpoles may take a year to transform into adult frogs. Pig frogs are sexually dimorphic, with males and females having similar growth rates until the snout-vent length reaches about 100mm, at which point females grow faster and eventually reach a larger size than males. Males have a bright yellow throat, which is a distinctive characteristic that helps to distinguish them from females. During the breeding season, males produce a low grunting sound to attract females and establish their territory. This species gets its common name from the call males use, which sounds somewhat like a pig's grunt. Fertilization is external, with males releasing sperm over the eggs as they are laid. Eggs are laid in large masses of up to 10,000 at a time on the surface of the water. Conservation status The pig frog holds no particular conservation status and is relatively common in its range. The species has been introduced and established itself in China, Andros Island and New Providence Island in the Bahamas, as well as Puerto Rico. Pig frogs have been reported to be raised for food by Chinese farmers, along with bullfrogs. Gallery Footnotes References Frogs & Toads of Georgia: Pig Frog Animal Diversity Web: Rana grylio Amphibian Species of the World: Rana grylio Database entry includes a range map and a brief justification of why this species is of least concern. (2005). Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (Rana). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 34 (2): 299–314. PDF fulltext. (2007). Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 42: 331–338. Stejneger L. 1901. A New Species of Bullfrog from Florida and the Gulf Coast. Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 24: 211-215. (Rana grylio, new species). External links Lithobates Amphibians of North America Amphibians of the Caribbean Amphibians of the United States Fauna of the Southeastern United States Taxa named by Leonhard Stejneger Amphibians described in 1901