The mystery surrounding the lake in Germany where 1,000 frogs inexplicably exploded has been unraveled after nearly 9 years.
In 2005, news outlets worldwide reported on the phenomenon of over 1,000 frogs exploding at a small lake in the Hamburg area of Germany.
At that time, this lake was dubbed the “Lake of Death.” The frogs would swell up like balloons until their bodies suddenly burst. The force of the explosions was so strong that frog remains were scattered over several square meters. This bizarre event lasted only a few minutes, and no scientist could explain the phenomenon. The situation escalated when the frog explosions spread to a lake in Denmark.
In 2005, a lake in Germany was labeled the “Lake of Death” due to the unexplained explosion of 1,000 frogs.
After nearly 9 years, a scientist has shed light on this mysterious phenomenon. Frank Mutschmann, one of Germany’s leading amphibian experts, discovered that the frog massacre was caused by a highly intelligent species of crow.
Frank studied samples of both living and dead frogs in Hamburg and found that the backs of the deceased frogs had a mark exactly the size of a bird’s beak. He then discovered that all the exploded frogs were missing their livers.
Exploded frogs at a small lake in Germany
“The frogs that exploded were not eaten by rats or other rodents; instead, they were attacked by crows that pecked at and consumed only the liver. These crows are very intelligent because they know that the skin of these frogs is highly toxic and that the liver is the only part rich in nutrients.”
They accurately located the liver beneath the skin and pecked at it to eat. Only after losing their livers did the frogs realize they had been attacked and began to inflate their bodies for self-defense. However, without ribs and having lost their livers, their lungs could not contain the pressure, leading to an explosion.
The culprits behind the strange phenomenon have been identified as intelligent crows.
Frogs are a beloved and protected species in Germany. According to Frank, the mass explosion of these frogs is nothing to worry about, as it is simply a matter of balance in nature.
