OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV — This week's Zach at the Zoo brings us back to Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium's Amphibian Conservation Area to learn all about the Blomberg's Toad – one of the largest toads in the world.
- Though currently off-exhibit, the toads will eventually move into the Kingdoms of the Night inside the Desert Dome.
- This is our second trip to the Amphibian Conservation Area.
- VIDEO: See how large the toads look in Zach's hands!
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Today’s visit to the zoo brings us back off-exhibit to the Amphibian Conservation Area.
Last time we were here, Supervisor Derek Benson introduced us to the Puerto Rican crested toad and the Wyoming toad.
“For this one I was like, ‘We got to do something big.’”
He wasn’t kidding!
Big, and getting bigger.
“Still growing — just one year old — these are Blomberg's toads.”
"They’re one of the top 3 (largest) so they should get double this size, too.”
They aren’t as heavy as you may think.
“This is a lot of air, too. This is kind of a defense mechanism. They will blow up to seem bigger than they are,” Benson said. “So these are a pound-and-a-half, but they should get up to about four.”
“If you look at the muscle tone of their leg — we gave them this room to develop that. We wanted these to be super fit, monster toads. So we give them this space to jump and swim and climb,” Benson explained.
“They can jump 2-3 feet at a time.”
Of course, these guys can chow down. What's on the menu?
“Everything. Anything that we can put in front of them — crickets, meal worms, roaches, small rodents, too. We’re honestly trying to get bigger and bigger prey items, because as you can see, that’s a pretty wide mouth there, too.”
Benson continued, “They have a long, sticky tongue like a classic frog would. It’s folded in their mouth and then comes out to catch prey and goes back in.”
And the good news for you – eventually you’ll be able to see them for yourself
“These will be on exhibit here at the zoo in probably a year or so.”
These nocturnal toads will fit in perfectly in the Kingdoms of Night – inside the Desert Dome.
