The specimen of a “sapo-cururu” weighs 2.7 kilos – and could set a new world record. Because of the damage it was causing, she was put to sleep.
Australian rangers discovered a giant cane toad in a national park. The mighty example of a “cane toad”, as the animals are called in English, weighs 2.7 kilograms – and therefore more than many newborn babies, environmental organization Queensland Environment said on Friday. “Toadzilla” probably sets a new world record.
Ranger Kylee Gray says she was out of breath when the amphibious monster suddenly appeared in Conway National Park in Queensland. “I reached down and grabbed the cane toad and I couldn’t believe how big and heavy it was.” The female is said to be 25 centimeters long. “A cane toad this size will eat anything that fits in its mouth, including insects, reptiles and small mammals,” she said. Because of the damage it causes to the environment, it has been put to sleep, writes the environmental organization on Twitter.
The previous record holder weighs 2.65 kilograms
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the previous record holder was recorded in Sweden in 1991: Prinsen (Prince) weighed 2.65 kilograms at the time. An average specimen of “Bufo marinus”, as cane toads are called by their scientific name, weighs about 450 grams, the website says.
Poisonous cane toads are native to South America. They were introduced to Australia in 1935 – originally with the idea of using them as pest control in sugar cane plantations. But the plan backfired massively: frogs multiplied so massively that they are now considered a pest. They will also eat just about anything from bugs, mice and other cane toads to household garbage. As many Australian animals lack resistance to toad venom, some mammals, snakes and reptiles are under serious threat from the invasion.
(APA/dpa)