The largest frog species currently is the Goliath frog (Conraua goliath), native to Africa. They can grow over 30 cm long and weigh more than 3 kg. However, they are still smaller than the Beelzebufo, considered the largest frog to have ever existed on Earth. This ancient creature could reach lengths of up to 41 cm and weigh about 4.5 kg, heavier than a newborn baby.
This monstrous frog is larger than any living frog species today and could be the largest frog that ever lived on our planet. It is named Beelzebufo ampinga, where Beelzebub means ‘the lord of flies’ in Greek, and bufo is Latin for ‘frog.’ Ampinga translates to ‘shield,’ referring to the creature’s armor-like tough skin.
This species of frog may have preyed on newborn dinosaurs. (Illustrative image).
It has a very robust body and an extremely wide mouth with powerful jaws. It is also quite gluttonous. In contrast, the largest frog species alive today in West Africa is only about 32 cm long and weighs 3.3 kg.
“Given its size, it’s no surprise that Beelzebufo would feast on small lizards and toads, including newborn dinosaurs,” stated paleontologist David Krause from Stony Brook University in New York, USA.
“This frog is a relative of today’s horned frogs, about the size of a slightly deflated beach ball, with short legs and a large mouth,” described Professor Susan Evans from the Department of Life Sciences at University College London regarding Beelzebufo.
When giant creatures have become extinct, their living relatives allow experts to study their behavior to better understand how ancient animals lived. “If it had a fierce temperament and employed the ambush ‘sit-and-wait’ tactics of modern horned frogs, Beelzebufo would have been a formidable predator to small animals. Its diet likely consisted of insects and small vertebrates like lizards, but it could also have preyed on newly hatched dinosaurs or juvenile non-avian dinosaurs,” added Evans.
In a 2017 study published in the journal Scientific Reports on the bite force of Beelzebufo, a team of specialists at California Polytechnic State University used its horned frog relatives as a model. They specifically had the frog Ceratophrys cranwelli bite a rigid rod. By comparing the strength and jaw morphology of Ceratophrys cranwelli with what is known about Beelzebufo, the research team concluded that Beelzebufo likely preyed on large prey.
“In many four-legged animals, the size of the prey increases with the size of the body, and Beelzebufo clearly had the capability to bite with significant force, meaning larger individuals could hunt a variety of creatures at the same time, including small crocodiles and non-avian dinosaurs,” the research team concluded.
The presence of Beelzebufo in Madagascar and its modern relatives in South America suggests there was once land connecting Madagascar to Antarctica and South America.
Beelzebufo lived during the Late Cretaceous period, the final age of the dinosaurs, and became extinct along with many other species about 65 million years ago. They did not live entirely underwater but rather in semi-aquatic environments. Their hunting methods were also similar to their modern relatives – camouflage and ambush attacks on prey.
