Hoplobatrachus tigerinus

Species of amphibian

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, commonly known as the Indian bullfrog, is a large species of fork tongued frog found in South and Southeast Asia. A relatively large frog, it is normally green in color, although physiological traits vary between populations. Sexual dimorphism exists between males and females. Outside of its native range, H. tigerinus is a rapidly spreading invasive species. Both adults and tadpoles can severely damage the populations of other frog species. Typically, Indian bullfrogs dwell in wetland environments. Research has been conducted on their ability to control mosquitos.

The Indian bulfrog was first described by François Marie Daudin in 1802, as Rana tigerina. The type locality was given as "Bengale, India". In 1992, it was transferred to the genus Hoplobatrachus by Alain Dubois, as Hoplobatrachus tigerinus. In addition to various other renditions and misspellings of R. tigerina, other synonyms include Rana picta, Dicroglossus tigrinus, and Euphlyctis tigerina.

The Indian bullfrog is a large species of frog. They can grow to be , with heads generally longer than they are wide, although older individuals tend to have wider heads. Normally green or brown with dark spots, males turn yellow during the breeding season. They tend to have a yellow streak along the spinal region of their back. In males, the tympanum is wider than the eye, while in females the eye is wider than the tympanum. Females are also heavier and longer than males.

The Indian bullfrog is native to mainland Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan, as well as possibly Bhutan and China, although its presence is uncertain. and India's Andaman Islands, where it is now a widespread invasive species. Likely areas to be invaded in the future include the Mascarene Islands, Malaysia, Indonesia, and East Africa.

First reported in October 2011, H. tigerinus has become a major threat to the fauna of the Andaman Islands. Larger than native frogs, it can easily consume large numbers of them, along with reptiles such as the Andaman worm snake and Andaman day gecko, as well as centipedes. The rapid spread of this frog throughout the archipelago is harmful to human residents as well, having disastrous effects on the local economy. The bullfrogs frequently kill and eat residents' fish and chicks, both of which are important to the islanders. While Indian law prohibits their killing, it is still done, both out of desire to rid the islands of the species and for food (H. tigerinus is a very cheap source of protein). Despite these efforts, the frogs' spread continues.

The species was first introduced to Madagascar for food, for which it is still used, although it has now become a pest. Human consumption has not been enough to prevent its spread.

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus reproduce during the monsoon season, in pools of rainwater. They produce many eggs at one time, although many tadpoles die before reaching adulthood.

The Indian bullfrog has been found to be an efficient means of controlling mosquito populations. Silver nanoparticles (AgNP), which are highly toxic to the larvae of Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito), were found to be able to work in conjunction with Hoplobatrachus tigerinus tadpoles to exterminate large numbers of mosquito larvae, with tadpoles consuming more AgNP exposed larvae than non exposed ones. While AgNP did not cause any immediate harm to the tadpoles, potential long term side effects (such as changes in life expectancy) have yet to be studied.