Exploding Toads 79
Badly Configured writes "The city of Hamburg in Germany is plagued by exploding amphibians (The Times, BBC, press release from the city, in German). People are warned not to go near the unstable animals for the fear of being hit. Experts have tested the toads for bacteria and chemicals, yet the reason for the animals going off remains a mystery..." From the article: "The toads' entrails are propelled for up to a metre (3.2ft), in scenes that have been likened to science fiction. Scientists are baffled. Possible explanations include a unknown virus or a fungus in the pond. "
Hmm, what could cause this? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Hmm, what could cause this? (Score:2)
Re:Hmm, what could cause this? (Score:3, Funny)
Good thing for ABS.
Sounds like... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Sounds like... (Score:2)
Re:Sounds like... (Score:1)
This is a bit that Dave Barry does frequently in his books and essays, taking odd phrases and stating that they would be "good names for a rock band."
Again, sorry for the dullness.
Re: (Score:1)
I want one of these dudes for christmas (Score:4, Funny)
The answer is obvious! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The answer is obvious! (Score:2)
Sony Forbes
Jérôme Tiberghien
Denis Lacroix
Woah. Killer cast.
Bah! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bah! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Bah! (Score:2)
To quote:
It is said a cow produces about 280 liters of methane-rich flatulence each day. By using a tube inserted into a cow's anus, one can ignite the gas and cause the cow to explode.
After knowing this, people will pack matches whenever they go cow tipping.
Re:Bah! (Score:1)
Re:are you serious (Score:2)
Damn it, the terr^H^H^H^Harmy have recruited toads now!!! What will they think of next?
Exploding German Frogs (Score:3, Funny)
Now to blame this on global warming (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Now to blame this on global warming (Score:1)
Re:Now to blame this on global warming (Score:1)
now if someone would use an internet translator to create an "engrish" version.. that would be awesome
Re:Now to blame this on global warming (Score:3, Informative)
They are different theories attempting to explain the same problem.
And to stay on topic... ew!
Toads / frogs can't burp. (Score:5, Interesting)
The point that I remember that's appropriate: frogs can't burp. So they would explode if this guy ran them over from the back-first (rather then head-first, where their guts were squeezed out of their backside). So what's probably happening here is:
(1) The toads eat something nasty.
(2) The nasty thing releases *a lot* of gas as it's digested.
(3) The toad can't burp - and for some reason can't fart either - so it swells up and eventually explodes.
Anyway, that's my best guess based on the information in those articles: something foreign (but not necessarily toxic) has got into their food supply.
Documentary (Score:4, Informative)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0130529/ [imdb.com]
Re:Documentary (Score:2)
Re:Toads / frogs can't burp. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Toads / frogs can't burp. (Score:1)
Re:Toads / frogs can't burp. (Score:1)
Woah! (Score:1, Offtopic)
OTOH, I can see the military building a new lab already (The weapon is successful, sir! Germans are exploding all over the place!)
Whoops - did I just mention ze war?
April is almost over... (Score:2)
Where's the video? (Score:3, Insightful)
I like the theory of suicide, with one generation protecting the the future generations as all crows will from now on be scared off.
What we're really going to find is kids have been feeding them PopRocks at night.
Re:Where's the video? (Score:3, Informative)
Not exactly video, but some pictures here [tv2.dk]:
By the way, the toads has started exploding at the Danish city of Låsby too, as reported by Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet [ekstrabladet.dk] (in Danish, sorry)
Re:Where's the video? (Score:2)
zerg (Score:1)
In any case, maybe the Germans are just throwing alot of vinegar down the drain and don't realize where it's all going...
Re:The reason was already discovered... (Score:2)
Re:The reason was already discovered... (Score:1)
A prankster? (Score:2)
Re:A prankster? (Score:1)
Conversion factors and significant digits (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Conversion factors and significant digits (Score:2, Informative)
They were just converting it, I don't think they actually closely measured the maximum distance.
Of course, the distance was rounded (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Of course, the distance was rounded (Score:1)
Well, they are german after all (Score:3, Interesting)
A good way to go... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:A good way to go... (Score:2)
Too bad (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Too bad (Score:2)
Re:Too bad (Score:1)
Cars make toads explode (not the way you think) (Score:2)
From the article (in my local archive):
Air pressure from passing cars 'causes toads to explode'
Passing cars can make toads crossing roads explode without even touching them.
A German researcher says they cause a sudden rise in air pressure which can be fatal for the amphibians.
Professor Dietrich Hummel, of Braunschweig, measured the suction caused by cars in a wind tunnel.
He says any speed over 20mph can can caus
Maybe if these scientists put down the books... (Score:1)
maybe (Score:1, Funny)
The Resurrection (Score:2, Funny)
"Yeah. What's the big deal?"
"Lemme tell ya bout it, stud!"
if I looking for frog (Score:2)
ps. i'll find my frog [lostfrog.org]"
Well, I think we have a pretty good clue now.
WTF? (Score:1)
Somebody has to do it... (Score:1)
2 ???
3 ?!??!!!
3 Profit!
Cane Toads (Score:4, Interesting)
Erm... April's fools or what? (Score:1)
Toads also exloding in Denmark (Score:3, Informative)
In a small town in western Denmark called Laasby, the toads are also exploding. Another weird thing is, that it often occurs between 2 and 3 in the night.
Please God (Score:1)
Serious Sam! (Score:2)
Directional microwave? (Score:2)
Re:Directional microwave? (Score:2)
Re:Directional microwave? (Score:1)
Re:Directional microwave? (Score:2)
Re:Well it has to be said that (Score:1)
Exploding frogs (Score:2)
A few years ago there was something similar in the UK, frogs developed some kind of infection that caused them to become "spawn bound". The females couldn't lay their spawn, instead they became all bloated and reddish in colour. Eventually they ruptured. Not quite as explosive as the toads, but it was pretty vile as I'd agreed to clear my parents pond right when this was happening.
(At the time I had a friend who wasn't much good with ladies. He was quite fat, so in honour of the frogs it was decided that
This is scary (Score:1)
Need help locating... (Score:1)
Next American threat... (Score:1)
Mystery solved...or so it seems (Score:1)
We're obliged to those readers who sent us the breathless news that today's Der Spiegel says crows have been fingered as the culprits. Apparently the crow pecks a small hole in the toad to get at the liver. The toad begins to inflate itself - its normal defence mechanism - but because there is no separation between lung cavity and abdomen, the poor blighter keeps on expanding until it goes pop. That's the gist of it, at least.