The greedy toad tried to swallow an entire bat in one go - but
could not fit the animal in its mouth
This is not a bizarre new mutant creature, but a giant toad after
swallowing a bat WHOLE.
The greedy toad tried to swallow an entire bat in one go
- but could not fit the animal in its mouth.
Park ranger Yufani Olaya spotted the strange behaviour in
the Cerros de Amotape national park in Peru.
He said the cane toad was sitting on the ground with its mouth
open, waiting for dinner to appear.
Experts believe bats fly close to the ground to catch insects and
Mr Olaya said this unfortunate bat almost flew straight into the
toad's open mouth.
The amphibian clamped its powerful jaws around the furry
critter, cramming it into it's mouth.
The photograph captures the toad's battle to swallow the animal,
despite the bat's wings and tail sticking out of its mouth.
Adam Leaché, assistant professor of herpetology at the University
of Washington,said: "Toads are voracious and will eat
pretty much anything that moves and can fit in their mouth."
Amazingly, the bat survived the ordeal, forcing the toad to spit it
out.
Charles Linkem, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of
Washington, explained how the bat may have survived. "The toad may
have tried to reposition its mouth to swallow and that was when the
bat was able to escape."
This is the first time that scientists have seen a toad attempt to
eat a bat in this manner.
Dr Linkem said: "It could be this population of toads have
developed a strategy for feeding on low flying bats and that this
is more common, but never observed before now."
