German Scientists Probe Exploding Toads

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » April 27, 2005, 12:08 pm

German Scientists Probe Exploding Toads

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

BERLIN — More than 1,000 toads have puffed up and exploded in a Hamburg pond in recent weeks, and scientists still have no explanation for what's causing the combustion, an official said Wednesday.

Both the pond's water and body parts of the toads have been tested, but scientists have been unable to find a bacteria or virus that would cause the toads to swell up and pop, said Janne Kloepper, of the Hamburg-based Institute for Hygiene and the Environment.

"It's absolutely strange," she said. "We have a really unique story here in Hamburg. This phenomenon really doesn't seem to have appeared anywhere before."

The toads at a pond in the upscale neighborhood of Altona have been blowing up since the beginning of the month, filling up like balloons until their stomachs suddenly burst.

"It looks like a scene from a science-fiction movie," Werner Schmolnik, the head of a local environment group, told the Hamburger Abendblatt daily. "The bloated animals suffer for several minutes before they finally die."

Biologists have come up with several theories, but Kloepper said that most have been ruled out.

The pond's water quality is no better or worse than other bodies of water in Hamburg, the toads did not appear to have a disease, and a laboratory in Berlin has ruled out the possibility that it is a fungus that made its way from South America, she said.

She said that tests will continue. In the meantime, city residents have been warned to stay away from the pond.

Wow! hehe

Drasta · Post by **Drasta** » April 27, 2005, 12:30 pm

damn imagen the biological weapon use this could have

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » April 27, 2005, 12:30 pm

I guess we could say that they "croaked" HAHAHH <slaps knee>

Lohrno · Post by **Lohrno** » April 27, 2005, 1:05 pm

Nobody's been feeding them Alka-Seltzer tablets on the sly?

Homercles · Post by **Homercles** » April 27, 2005, 1:58 pm

Some punk pre-teens are running around with little air pumps and getting their jollys by inflating some toads.

Sabek · Post by **Sabek** » April 27, 2005, 2:31 pm

FROOOOOAK!

Lynks · Post by **Lynks** » April 27, 2005, 2:34 pm

This reminds me of the Southpark episode where no one wanted to fart and they all combusted.

Burke · Post by **Burke** » April 27, 2005, 5:19 pm

"...and in the next panel, SuperToad goes PLOOIE!"

/Calvin and Hobbes

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » April 27, 2005, 5:35 pm

Let's just hope they're "probing" these exploding frogs with long sticks to avoid splatter damage.

"Dont' poke it too hard Segfried! Its gonna blow!"

Hesten · Post by **Hesten** » April 27, 2005, 5:54 pm

Not only in germany, seems we got a case of it in Denmark too, that should rule out kids with baking power and stuff like that.

But god knows what make toads spontaniously explode. Maybe its the next natural defense mechanism, i doubt ANYONE will lick toads any more if they might spontaniously combust in your face

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » April 27, 2005, 6:22 pm

can we rule out Dutch raping the toads?

masteen · Post by **masteen** » April 27, 2005, 6:32 pm

Voronwë wrote:can we rule out Dutch raping the toads?

You cannot rule the Dutch out of ANYTHING.

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » April 27, 2005, 6:54 pm

I'd watch the news more if there were more exploding toads. Can you talk to someone about that, Voro? Thx.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 27, 2005, 7:37 pm

Dutch Solution: Duct Tape

Hesten · Post by **Hesten** » April 28, 2005, 4:51 am

Voronwë wrote:can we rule out Dutch raping the toads?

Havent you seen german porn movies? You cant rule out ANYTHING.

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » April 28, 2005, 8:07 pm

Supposedly it was the crows.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... adsoffbeat