Many small towns have their own, sometimes very strange, legends. For example, the Scottish city of Inverness is famous for the fact that the world-famous Loch Ness Monster supposedly lives not far from it. And the city of Ocracoke in the American state of North Carolina attracts the attention of tourists because it is the birthplace and place of death of the famous pirate Edward Teach, also known as Captain Blackbeard. The Canadian city of Fredericton also has its own legend. It is believed that in the 19th century there lived a man who was able to domesticate a frog and fatten it up to such an extent that it grew to the size of a dog. A stuffed specimen of this huge frog is exhibited in the local museum. But it is hard to believe that this story is true – now we will try to dispel this myth to smithereens.
Canadian Gave Frog Whiskey and It Grew Giant. How Can You Believe It? Photo Credit: iflscience.com
Frog as a Pet
The Canadian city of Fredericton is very small and is home to only 50,000 people. It would never be interesting for tourists if it weren't for the amazing story of Fred Coleman and his giant frog named Cornelia Webster.
According to legend, in 1885, a man named Fred Coleman was rowing on Lake Killarney when a frog jumped out at him. It was a bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus). They usually weigh around 600 grams, but this one was apparently unusually large. This is probably why the man decided to keep it as an unusual pet.
Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus). Photo source: supersnimki.ru
Over the next eight years, Fred Coleman fed it cornmeal, baked beans, beetles, and even whiskey. Eventually, he grew a frog weighing 19 kilograms — its size could be compared to a dog. Also, according to legend, the amphibian obeyed its owner and knew how to come to the sound of a bell.
Fred Coleman lived with his frog until a mysterious dynamite explosion killed the animal. After his pet died, the man sent the giant's body to a taxidermist – a specialist who creates stuffed animals. At first, the stuffed animal stood at the entrance to one of the local hotels, and visitors used it as an ashtray. Then the stuffed frog ended up among the exhibits of the Fredericton Regional Museum.
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Fakes in museums
The stuffed animal exhibited in the museum is of very poor quality, painted bright green and overall gives the impression of a cheap fake. So the story told above may well be a fabrication to attract the attention of tourists.
Cornelia Webster's Stuffed Animal in the Museum. Photo Credit: atlasobscura.com
Legend has it that the man fed the frog cornmeal and gave it whiskey to drink. With such a diet, the croaking Cornelia Webster would not have lived for more than a few days, and eight years of happy life is out of the question. In addition, frogs do not drink liquid through their mouths – they absorb moisture through the skin of their stomach and thighs. According to vertebrate expert David Green, the existence of such a large frog is laughable nonsense.
To dispel visitors' doubts, museum representatives could have allowed specialists to take DNA samples from the stuffed animal and prove that it really was a living frog long ago. But no, the museum flatly refuses to conduct a DNA test, and this is extremely suspicious.
The museum flatly refuses a DNA test, it clearly has something to hide. Photo source: atlasobscura.com
Fred Coleman's giant frog is most likely just a figurine used to advertise a cough medicine. The sellers wanted to show that their medicine eliminates the feeling of a “frog stuck” in the throat. The paws of the effigy appear to be made of wax, and something similar to an artificial material can be seen from under the cracks. Therefore, there is almost no doubt that the giant Cornelia Webster frog is a hoax.
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The Largest Frog in the World
Despite all this, giant frogs do exist in nature. They are known as Goliath frogs (Conraua goliath) and live in tropical rivers in the territories of the Republic of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
The size of the Goliath frog is impressive. Photo source: dzen.ru
The body length of the Goliath frog can reach 32 centimeters. The body weight of especially large individuals is up to 5 kilograms. Female frogs are much larger than males. The amphibian giants feed mainly on insects and spiders, and sometimes eat smaller frogs and even birds.
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