NSF Discovers "Giant Fossil Frog from Hell"

Step aside, Kermit. National Science Foundation-funded researchers at Stony Brook University report discovering the fossil remains of a "voracious predatory" frog now believed to be the largest frog ever to exist.

Remains of the 16-inch, 10-pound behemoth, scientifically named Beelzebufo, or devil frog, were found in Madagascar, where researchers say it terrorized lizards, small vertebrates and maybe even newborn dinosaurs some 65 to 70 million years ago.

Since unearthing the first bones in 1993, researchers led by Stony Brook paleontologist David Krause have painstakingly gathered enough fossil fragments to reconstruct an entire Beelzebufo skeleton, including nearly an entire skull.

"The finding presents a real puzzle biogeographically, particularly because of the poor fossil record of frogs on southern continents," said Krause in a press release. "We're asking ourselves, 'What's a 'South American' frog doing half-way around the world, in Madagascar?'"

Apparently, what Beelzebufo was doing in Madagascar was ruling the roost. Not only was it huge, Krause said it had "a protective shield, an extremely wide mouth and powerful jaws."

By comparison, the goliath frog of West Africa, growing to lengths of 12.5 inches and weights of 7.2 pounds, is the largest modern frog. The largest frog alive on Madagascar today, at just over four inches long, "would have been a nice hors d'oeuvre for Beelzebufo," Krause said.

If you think Beelzebufo was something, you should have seen its lily pad!

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