Friday, April 29, 2005

Riddle of Mystery Exploding Toads Solved

The mystery of why toads in the Altona district of Hamburg, Germany, (SN reported) have been exploding has finally been solved. They have been subjected to precision attacks by crows who have been pecking out their livers with a single thrust.

The toads expand their bodies in an act of self-defence but with no liver and a punctured stomach, the toads inadvertently blow up their own blood vessels, their lungs then collapse and then they explode.

Veterinary surgeon Frank Mutschmann says that just three to five crows can kill up to one hundred toads and they learn the technique of extracting a toads liver very quickly.

(source)

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