Exploding Toads Concern Experts

Up to a thousand toads have died as a result of a strange phenomenon gripping the Altona district of Hamburg, Germany - the amphibians swell up to over three times their normal size and then explode, propelling their entrails a metre into the air.

The 'pond of death' where the toads reside has been declared a no-go zone, with a biologist visiting the area and examining them between the hours of 2.00 and 3.00am - the peak time for the amphibians to go pop.

Experts can only guess at what might be causing the ghastly demise of the toads, with a virus or fungus being suspected. Another apparent explanation is that crows are attacking the colony and literally scaring them to death.

(source)