It has been determined that the largest toad in the world weighs exactly the same as a newborn child.
It was initially assumed to be a prank when Ranger Kylee Gray discovered it in North Queensland’s Conway National Park.
When the gigantic beast began to breathe, Ms Gray realized she had discovered something truly special.
Speaking to ABC News in Australia, she said: “A big warty, brown, ugly cane toad just sitting in the dirt – I just couldn’t believe it to be honest, I’ve never seen anything so big.
“There was a red-belly black snake on the track in front of us, so we stopped to let the snake pass and got out of the vehicle and right next to us was this huge cane toad.
She initially thought it was a ‘practical joke’ (Image: Department of Environment and Science QLD)
“It flinched when I walked up to it and I yelled out to my supervisor to show him.
“A cane toad that size will eat anything it can fit into its mouth, and that includes insects, reptiles, and small mammals.”
The official world record for giant toads stands at 5.84lb.
And while the woman did weigh the massive toad she found, she didn’t do it on “certified scales” – so the record doesn’t count – although the scales she had claimed it was 6lb and around 25cm in length.
She added: “We didn’t get it on certified scales, so we’re sort of kicking ourselves.
The toad was killed shortly after being discovered (Image: Department of Environment and Science QLD)
“We believe it’s a female due to the size, and female cane toads do grow bigger than males.
“She was found at an elevation of 393 metres, which isn’t unusual, but she has created a lot of interest among our ranger staff due to her size.”
This story doesn’t have a happy ending, though.
Due to the fact that the toad is seen as being a poisonous pest in the wild, where it can live for up to 15 years, park officials euthanised it.
It will now be taken to the Queensland Museum in Brisbane for further analysis.
Source: https://ghiennaunuong.com
