‘Toadzilla’: Giant cane toad found in Australia weighing 2.7kg

A giant cane toad dubbed “Toadzilla” has been discovered in Australia.

The amphibian, which weighs 2.7kg, shocked rangers who stumbled across it at the Conway National Park in North Queensland.

Queensland Department of Environment and Science said rangers were clearing a trail when they spotted the toad.

Ranger Kylee Gray said her team were “blown away” by the “monster” cane toad which weighed 2.7kg and is believed to be female.

She told the Australian Broadcasting Corp it was by far the largest toad she had encountered and said it looked “almost like a football with legs”.

“We weighed it when we got back to base late that afternoon and we got her at 2.7 kilos which just shocked us, absolutely blew us away,” she said.

“We measured her, we got I think 255mm, but I believe the Queensland Museum will be doing their measurements when they receive her.”

The Guinness World Record for the largest toad in history is 2.65kg – set by a pet toad in Sweden in 1991.

Read more:
Polar bear that killed mother and son was camouflaged by snowstorm
Bison rewilding in Kent gets boost as bull joins female herd
Seal pup population soars along stretch of Norfolk coast

Ms Gray said rangers had dubbed the toad “Toadzilla”, adding that the museum would be checking if it might be the largest toad found.

Cane toads are native to South America and Central America and were introduced to Australia in 1935, according to the WWF.

The toads mainly eat living insects, but will consume anything they swallow including pet food and household scraps.

Toads are one of Australia’s most damaging pests and are now estimated to number over two billion.