The Coleman Frog (also known as Cornelia Webster[1]) is a supposed taxidermy specimen of a 19 kg (42 lb) frog, on display at the Fredericton Region Museum in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, since 1959. It was previously owned by a man named Fred Coleman.[2][3]
Description
editThe frog was allegedly captured in 1889 from Lake Killarney, north of Fredericton, at which time it was said to have weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces (3.3 kg).[2][3] Supposedly, the immense size of the frog was caused by the fact that Coleman fed it whiskey, baked beans, June bugs, buttermilk toddies,[4] and whey. It is said to have died in a "dynamite accident" and was sent to Bangor, Maine, to be stuffed.[2]
Controversy
editSkeptics, such as the Museum of Hoaxes, say that the frog is a fake that was used to promote a cough syrup that would "relieve the frog in your throat".[5] In a 1988 report, the Canadian Conservative Institute stated that the artifact consists of canvas, wax, and paint and in a letter it refers to the exhibit as “an amusing example of a colossal fake and deception”.[6] The museum will not allow DNA testing to be performed on the frog to confirm whether it is real or a fake.[5][7][8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Is the Coleman Frog a Boy or a Girl?". Fredericton Region Museum. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "The Coleman Frog". York Sunbury Museum. June 24, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ a b "Story of famous "Coleman Frog"". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Christian Science Monitor. Apr 12, 1979. p. 7. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ Wood, Gerald L. (1976). The Guinness book of animal facts and feats (2nd ed.). Enfield , England: Guinness Superlatives. ISBN 0-900424-60-5. OCLC 2831478.
- ^ a b "The Coleman Frog". Museum of Hoaxes. July 30, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ Nickell, Joe (2001). Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2210-6. JSTOR j.ctt2tv655.
- ^ "Monster frog no bull – maybe". The Windsor Star. July 28, 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ Mandell, Charles (July 28, 2017). "Story of the big frog is no bull, museum says". Retrieved July 21, 2020 – via PressReader.