August 21, 2005
French surrender to… frogs?
France has been invaded by frogs! And before you say that’s redundant, I’m talking about the little green suckers.
The aggressive and voracious bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), introduced illegally 37 years ago, can grow to more than 4lbs in weight and almost 2ft long. It consumes other frogs, fish, lizards and even small birds.
Since the frogs were first released, as a joke, on a private pond near Libourne in 1968, they have colonised ponds, lakes, marshes and gravel pits all over the département of the Gironde. They have been found in the Landes area to the south and in the Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne and Loir-et-Cher départements, further north.
Very nice. They originally came from California. Remember what I said about American’s thinking and dreaming big? I don’t know if we can legitimately claim that 2′ long California frogs also apply, but I’m willing to make that claim!
Hunters working for the government’s wildlife agency will be stalking ponds in south-west France this weekend, aimed with flash-lights, rifles, silencers and night-vision sights.
They have been mobilised for the most intensive effort so far to terminate a plague of giant Californian bullfrogs which is threatening to disrupt the ecology of the Gironde, Dordogne and several other départements.
Hunters with scopes, night-vision, and all that? We should just send them a few rednecks… Time fer sum frog-giggin’, boys!
Hat Tip: Samizdata
(needed something light-hearted after my brain-frying FairTax post…)
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