Watch The Sighting:
Most people would have overlooked a frog while on safari, but Riaan Ferreira had a keen eye and knew there was more to the story. Riaan was on a game drive in Kgalagadi National Park in South Africa when he spotted an African Bullfrog camouflaged almost perfectly with the muddy ground.
Blink And You’ll Miss It
Nearby, a peaceful cluster of butterflies gathered on the sand, likely drawn by minerals and moisture left from recent rainfall. Riaan noticed that the frog was inching its way toward the butterflies, and he knew that there was going to be an ambush!
In this seemingly picturesque moment, the butterflies’ delicate wings fluttered in unison, completely unaware of the danger that was lurking just a few inches away. Riaan quickly pulled out his camera to capture the moment, and luckily started to film just in time!
The butterflies scattered, catching the attention of some opportunistic birds, while the frog hopped away. It paid no attention to the chaos it had just created and was simply happy to have caught its snack.
The frog stalked a few more steps closer to the butterflies, paused to assess, and then exploded! In a flash, the frog was in the air and snatched up one of the butterflies with its sticky tongue before landing within the same second.
The action lasted only a heartbeat, but Riaan caught it all on film.
Silent And Still
While most safari-goers hope to witness a hunt carried out by a big cat, African Bullfrogs are also masters of the ambush and can be just as exciting to watch! Though they are bulky in appearance, these bullfrogs are one of the continent’s most formidable amphibians.
Their olive-green skin camouflaged almost perfectly with their surroundings, and similarly to big cats, they lie low and motionless, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. In Riaan’s video, the bullfrog demonstrates its talent for patience, inching forward without disturbing a single butterfly.
The Power Of The Tongue
Fast, sticky, and surprisingly strong, the African bullfrog’s tongue is its ultimate weapon. When hunting, this amphibian relies not on moving quickly but on explosive precision.
In a fraction of a second, its muscular, elastic tongue uncoils and lashes out, ensnaring prey with the help of a specialized mucus. Once in contact with the target, the tongue’s adhesive strength ensures that prey has almost no chance of escaping.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Though insects make up the bulk of its diet, the African bullfrog is a voracious and opportunistic predator known to consume anything it can fit into its mouth. Some prey items include small birds, rodents, snakes, and even other frogs!
An Unsuspecting Predator
In this encounter, the butterfly may have been an unusual but welcome target for the frog, its soft body offering little resistance and a quick energy boost in the harsh environment of the Kgalagadi.
Even in the stillest moments of the wild, drama unfolds in the blink of an eye. The African bullfrog’s ambush on a group of unsuspecting butterflies is a reminder that nature’s most powerful hunters are often the ones hiding in plain sight.