Croaking Indian bullfrogs turn bright yellow to attract mates
Bizarre moment scores of croaking Indian bullfrogs – which turn bright YELLOW to attract mates – hop around in monsoon waters
- Army of bright yellow frogs filmed hopping around a pool in Madhya Pradesh
- Males of the 6.9-inch species change colour in the monsoon to attract a mate
- Video has gone viral since it was shared, and has been viewed 144,000 times
By Luke Andrews For Mailonline
Published: 12:38 EDT, 13 July 2020 | Updated: 16:17 EDT, 13 July 2020
An army of bright yellow frogs has been filmed croaking and hopping around a flooded field in India.
Males of the 6.9-inch Indian Bullfrog swap their usual greens and browns for the flashy shade between June and July every year, their mating season.
The bizarre footage was taken by an Indian national parks worker as he surveyed the amphibians in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh.
The army of bright yellow frogs was filmed in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
They are Indian bullfrogs. Males turn a bright yellow between June and July to attract a mate
In the video a gaggle of yellow males is seen splashing around the flood waters, with fewer green females in sight.
Several males were also shown inflating their cheeks, revealing a brilliant blue colour, which they use to attract mates.
The video has gone viral and been viewed more than 144,000 times since it was uploaded to the internet.
Posting the footage on social media, Parveen Kaswan wrote: ‘Have you ever seen yellow frogs?
The video has gone viral on social media and has been viewed more than 144,000 times
Indian bullfrog males transform from greens (right) to the bright colour between June and July every year, the monsoon season, in order to attract a mate
The Indian bullfrog
Pictured is a male of the Indian bullfrog
Size: Up to 6.9-inches
Diet: Insects, small birds, frogs, mice and snakes
Habitat: Wetlands in south and south-east Asia
Breeding season: June to July
Mating: Males turn bright yellow and flash blue cheeks to attract a mate
‘They are Indian bullfrogs and they change to yellow during the monsoon for attracting females.
‘Just look how they are enjoying the rains.’
He also explained to viewers how, despite their colour, the frogs are not poisonous and are actually sometimes eaten by people.
He later added: ‘The only issue is whether so many males will get their ladies.
‘The competition is real.’
The Indian Bullfrog, or Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, is a species of least concern according to the IUCN, meaning it is not under threat from human activity.
It can be found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
But the population has also spread to other locations – and has managed to invade Madagascar, the Maldives and India’s Andaman islands.
The species is famous for having a voracious appetite and eating any thing it can get its tongue around – even small birds, mice and other frogs.
Their tadpoles are also dangerous, and are known to eat the tadpoles of other smaller frog species.
The Indian monsoon lasts between June and July.
