The Eagle

August 21, 1895

“VIRGINIA’S SWELLING TOAD.”

A Queer Batrachian That Strongly Resembles a Fish.

The wonder of the genus batrachia and the greatest natural history oddity to be found along the Atlantic coast of the United States is the swelling toad, a semi-aquatic creature known to naturalists as bufomachalatus. It is occasionally met with from New York city to Jacksonville, Fla., but is most common along the coasts of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.

When in its natural state the “swell toad” is about the size of a large bullfrog, but looks more like a fish than it does like either a frog or a toad. He is about six inches in length and has the curious faculty of being able to swell to the size of a Yale football, in which state his legs, tail and head are scarcely visible. Irritation appears to be the chief factor in causing these curious creatures to inhale air until they swell almost to bursting. The bellies of both the males and females are nearly pure white and are covered with spines which give that portion of their anatomy the appearance of a well-ripened “jimpson” burr.

Persons who understand the “swell toad,” and know what an irritable little rascal he is, catch him and rub the spines on his belly until he swells up until he is utterly helpless. Another curious point about the creature is that as long as he is kept on his back he is unable to expel the air so as to reduce the swelling.

“Historic Cryptid Headlines” showcases actual articles involving cryptids that were published within United States newspapers back in the 1800s-1900s. The articles posted here are written exactly as they appeared during their original publishing date.

-The Pine Barrens Institute