Coleman Frog

The Coleman Frog (also known as Cornelia Webster[1])is a 19 kg (42 lb) frog (supposedly a taxidermy specimen) 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

The frog was allegedly captured 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

Skeptics, 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

References
  1. "Is the Coleman Frog a Boy or a Girl?". Fredericton Region Museum. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  2. "The Coleman Frog". York Sunbury Museum. June 24, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  3. "Story of famous "Coleman Frog"". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Christian Science Monitor. Apr 12, 1979. p. 7. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  4. 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.
  5. "The Coleman Frog". Museum of Hoaxes. July 30, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  6. Nickell, Joe (2001). Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2210-6. JSTOR j.ctt2tv655.
  7. "Monster frog no bull – maybe". The Windsor Star. July 28, 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  8. Mandell, Charles (July 28, 2017). "Story of the big frog is no bull, museum says". Retrieved July 21, 2020 – via PressReader.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.