This white-headed burrowing frog looks like a real-life “Jabba The Hut”
There’s no doubt that adorable dogs and cats take over the internet. However, from time to time, we also inevitably find ourselves caught up in the inexplicable allure of hunting and unknown animals. From albino Indian shelled tortoises to golden possums, discoveries of unknown creatures are always a cause for celebration and debate. So when photos of a beak-headed burrowing frog surfaced online, they instantly became a buzzword and sparked the interest of the online community.
Earlier this year, Twitter user @koshin0919 shared some photos of a peculiar-looking creature that was spotted in Cambodia. The tweet instantly generated buzz, garnering over 23,500 retweets and 130,100 likes to date. It also sparked an online discussion, with many users expressing their thoughts on the classification of the unknown organism. Some suggested that it is a shell-less turtle. Meanwhile, others pointed out its strong resemblance to Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars.
Fortunately, Twitter user Jodi Rowley, a conservation biologist who claims to have an injury with frogs, came forward and shed some light on the matter. According to Rowley, the mysterious amphibian is a species of frog known as Glyphoglossus molossus. In addition to “Globe-headed burrowing frog,” people also commonly refer to it as the “puffer frog.”
As its name suggests, this species spends most of its life living underground. But as soon as the rainy season arrives, it emerges in large numbers to reproduce “explosively” in temporary bodies of water. Although it normally has a round shape, it swells up even more as a form of self-defense.
Surprisingly, despite its exotic appearance, it is a relatively popular cuisine in Thailand. However, this has been the main cause of its overexploitation. In fact, the International Council for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has already categorized it as “Near Threatened”. So, in line with this, the IUCN has strongly recommended against collecting frogs at breeding sites to ensure the conservation of this species.
