According to researchers, the Toadzilla toad may be the largest individual in the world, but it is difficult to be sure.
In January, an exceptionally large toad was found in a national park in Queensland, Australia.
The 2.7 kg specimen is believed to be the largest of its species.
The news about the giant toad has spread around the world. For example CNN (switch to another service), BBC (switch to another service) and The Guardian (you are switching to another service) have reported on a rare animal sighting.
Scientists named the toad Toadzilla after the fictional giant monster Godzilla.
Is Toadz the world’s biggest toad?
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Swedish pet toad Prinsen was named the heaviest toad in the world in 1991.
Prinsen’s weight was recorded as 2.65 kilograms. So Toadzilla would weigh 50 grams more than Prinsen.
It is not certain if Toadz is bigger than Prinsen, as after setting the record, Prinsen was said to have grown even bigger.
Swedish SVT (you switch to another service) says that pictures of the Prinsen toad from 1993 have been found in its archive photos. According to SVT, the toad looks bigger in the photos than in the photos taken in 1991.
In the 1990s, Prinsen was such a big sensation in Sweden that its owner Hans Forsberg could support himself solely by showing off his pet.
Prinsen died in 1994.
Could have had 35,000 chicks
The Toadzilla found in Australia is so massive that it could theoretically lay more than 35,000 roe eggs.
However, the potential number of offspring of the giant female remains a mystery, as vets euthanized Toadzilla on Friday.
According to zoologists, Toadzilla was classified as an alien species in Australia. In addition, due to the individual’s large size, it could have caused damage to its environment.
Toadzilla’s body will be donated to the Queensland Zoological Museum.
Source: Reuters