Australian park rangers discover record-breaking cane toad

According to Guinness World Records, the current record held for the world’s largest toad is at 2.65 kg (5.8 pounds), measuring at 38 cm (1 ft 3 in) from snout to vent. The record was set in March 1991 by a cane toad owned by a Swedish man.

“When we returned to base, she weighed in at 2.7 kg, which could be a new record,” Gray said of the newly discovered “Toadzilla.” 

The team had initially considered calling the large amphibian Connie after Conway National Park, Gray said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC on Friday, but ultimately settled on naming it after the fictional monster.

“We dubbed it Toadzilla, and quickly put it into a container so we could remove it from the wild,” Gray said in the statement. 

Not unlike its namesake, “Toadzilla” was viewed as a grave threat to its surroundings.

“A cane toad that size will eat anything it can fit into its mouth, and that includes insects, reptiles and small mammals,” Gray said.

While pigeons and rats are considered stubborn pests in many countries, cane toads carry the crown as one of Australia’s most invasive pests. 

With this in mind, the giant toad was “humanely euthanized,” according to a statement from Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science, due to the risk of environmental damage.