Meet 'Toadzilla': Record-breaking monster cane toad found in Australian forest
20 January 2023, 09:13 | Updated: 20 January 2023, 09:27
A huge toad weighing nearly three kilograms has been found in the Australian wild.
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A ranger found the behemoth, believed to be a female, when driving through the Conway National Park in North Queensland.
Officials think the 2.7kg toad could be the biggest and heaviest toad ever found.
Rangers removed Toadzilla from the forest. Having been introduced to Queensland in 1935 to control the cane beetle, the fatally poisonous cane toad has caused local extinctions among some of its predators.
Kylee Gray said she came across the toad when she stopped her car to let a snake pass in front. When she stepped out and saw the massive amphibian, she gasped.
Australia's largest cane frog 'Toadzilla' seen in clip
“I reached down and grabbed the cane toad and couldn’t believe how big and heavy it was,” Ms Gray said.
“We dubbed it Toadzilla, and quickly put it into a container so we could remove it from the wild.
“A cane toad that size will eat anything it can fit into its mouth, and that includes insects, reptiles and small mammals.“We believe it’s a female due to the size, and female cane toads do grow bigger than males. When we returned to base, she weighed in at 2.7kg, which could be a new record.
“She was found at an elevation of 393m, which isn’t unusual, but she has created a lot of interest among our ranger staff due to her size.I’m not sure how old she is, but cane toads can live up to fifteen years in the wild – so this one has been around a long time. We’re pleased to have removed her from the national park.
“The Queensland Museum is interested in taking her, as she might be the largest on record.”
The largest toad ever was 2.65kg, a record set by a pet toad in Sweden in 1991.
