The World’s Biggest Frog Is A 3.3-Kilogram, Nest-Building Whopper With No Croak To Be Found

Beelzebufo might’ve been king of the frogs 70 million years ago, but nowadays, a different champ for “World’s Biggest Frog” reigns. It’s cat-sized, it’s quiet, it’s hench af… it’s the goliath frog (Conraua goliath).

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Yes, cat-sized – you read that correctly. These whoppers can reach up to 75 centimeters (29.5 inches) with their legs extended, which is about the same length as a small domestic cat from its head to the end of its tail. Goliath frogs can be similar in weight too, clocking in at between 2.7 to 3.3 kilograms (6 to 7.3 pounds).

They’re native to the rainforests of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, where they live in or near large, fast-flowing rivers and streams. Here, you’re better off relying on their size rather than sound in order to spot them; goliath frogs don’t have a vocal sac, leaving them unable to croak like other frogs do. It’s thought that they can make a whistling noise, but generally, they’re considered to be pretty silent.

It's not just goliath frogs’ size that’s impressive. Back in 2019, scientists discovered that the species’ male frogs build little ponds out of rocks near the rivers by which they live. This provides a safe haven in which eggs can hatch and tadpoles – which actually start off about the same size as an average frog’s tadpoles – can grow away from the dangers of the fast-flowing water and predators. 

Although that’s about as far as parenting goes for these giant amphibians, researchers believe this nesting behavior could be why goliath frogs eventually achieve such, well, goliath sizes.

“As nest construction, at least in some cases, requires the removal of large and heavy items, we hypothesize that this can only be achieved by decent sized frogs, possibly explaining the unique size of the species,” they wrote in the study detailing their findings.

For how long we might still see this behavior is in question, however. While goliath frogs have been hopping about on Earth for an estimated 250 million years, they’re now considered to be an endangered species with a declining population.

The decrease in goliath frog numbers is largely the result of human action. The pollution and loss of their habitat through agriculture, logging, and expanding human settlements plays one part, but the major threat to their survival is considered to be hunting. Goliath frog meat has historically been a popular foodstuff, and though the frogs now have legal protections in their native habitats, research suggests that hunting and eating them remains common.