American Bullfrog (Frogs Figurine Playset by Toymany)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), or simply bullfrog, is the biggest and best known true frog in North America. I have fond memories of catching them at my old family cottage back when I was a child. I even once caught a bullfrog tadpole and raised it until it grew limbs and lost its tail, upon which I released it back into the river.

Newcomer Toymany’s 2024 bullfrog is around the same size as a live juvenile. It measures 6 cm long and is 6.5 cm wide at the tips of its hind toes. It is sculpted in a sitting stance with its head raised high and its hind limbs folded up.

The main colour here is glossy olive green with lighter green on the head and front limbs and black spots and stripes on the torso and hind legs. Bright yellow, very light yellow, and yellowish brown are applied to the underbelly. The tiny nostrils are pink and the bulging eyes are glossy black and brown. It is definitely an accurate colour scheme, and furthermore, the bright yellow on the throat indicates that this individual is a male.

The bullfrog’s skin is bumpy and uneven. The folded hind limbs look strong and powerful, ready to launch the animal into the air at a moment’s notice. Similarly, the wide mouth is firmly closed shut, but if you’ve ever observed bullfrogs, you know that they are almost always ready to open their mouths and scarf something down. They will eat whatever they can consume: worms, snails, insects, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, small fish, mammals, and snakes, and other frogs. Bullfrogs are in turn prey for herons, water snakes, raccoons, otters, and alligators.

There is one small potential inaccuracy here, though. As I mentioned earlier, the yellow throat suggests that this bullfrog is a male. However, male bullfrogs have tympana (external eardrums) that are much larger than their eyes. The tympana on this toy look a little small to my eye, but it’s a minor quibble at most.

Overall, the Toymany bullfrog is a very good toy. Great sculpting, correct appearance, and a good size to boot, neither too small nor too large. Mine is part of the wonderful twelve piece set, but it can also be purchased online separately.