Giant cane toad 'Toadzilla' could be world's biggest
Jake Massey
Featured Image Credit: Queensland Department of Environment and Science
Brace yourselves, folks, for the spin-off you didn't know you needed: Toadzilla, the story of a giant cane toad that rises up and wreaks havoc across Australia.
The mega toad was discovered in Conway National Park, near Airlie Beach, in Queensland, and it could just be the world's biggest.
Check it out here:
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Wildlife officers initially thought the 'monster' toad was fake and they were left stunned when they realised it was the real deal.
Ranger Kylee Gray said a snake slithering across the track forced them to stop their vehicle, and when she stepped out and looked down, she gasped when she saw the colossal cane toad.
"I reached down and grabbed the cane toad and couldn't believe how big and heavy it was," she recalled.
"I've never seen anything so big.
"[It looked] almost like a football with legs. We dubbed it Toadzilla."
They were in for a further shock when they chucked Toadzilla on the scales and saw that the creature weighed in at 2.7kg (6lbs) - the Guinness World Record for the largest toad in history is 2.65kg (5.8lbs), set by a pet toad in Sweden named Prinsen, back in 1991.
Toadzilla won't be doing any more growing though, cause the toad is now brown bread. The amphibian was euthanised, as is standard practice in Australia.
They were introduced in Queensland in the 1930s to help control cane beetles - but this was an extremely bad decision.
The initial population of around 100 rapidly multiplied, and there are now millions of the toads across Australia, wreaking havoc among native wildlife populations.
They have no natural predators, will eat just about anything, and can also be poisonous.
As such, Toadzilla is now destined for the museum.
Kylee said: "A cane toad that size will eat anything it can fit into its mouth, and that includes insects, reptiles and small mammals.
"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.
"The Queensland Museum is interested in taking her, as she might be the largest on record.
"Cane toads can live up to 15 years in the wild – so this one has been around a long time. We're pleased to have removed her from the national park."