King of the Frogs Found

On Monday, February 18, scientists announced the findings of the largest frog species that ever lived. The frog has been named the “devil frog” for its gigantic size, horned head, and menacing appearance. The frog’s scientific name is Beelzebufo ampinga. Beelzebub is Greek for the devil, and bufo is Latin for toad. Ampinga means “shield;” this was added because the frog has an armor-like patches on its body. The frog probably lived 65 to 70 million years ago.

The fossils of the devil frog were found in northwestern Madagascar. They show that the frog was over 16 inches long and weighed over 10 pounds when it was fully matured. The frog was powerfully built, and it had an incredibly wide mouth. Unlike most frogs, it didn’t live near water. Instead, it lived in semi-arid regions. Scientists guess that the frog probably fed on lizards, small mammals, other frogs, and newly hatched dinosaurs. Like most frogs today, the devil frog used camouflage to blend in with its surroundings, and then it would attack its prey.

The idea of a frog of this size isn’t new. The fist fragments of fossils of the frog were found in 1993. Over the last 15 years, scientist have found more pieces and slowly fit them together until they finally assembled a full frog. Scientists aren’t done yet though. Many believe that there are other extinct frogs that were much bigger. Until then, the devil frog remains the king of the frogs.