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Apopka Florida - "Big Potato": That's what the Indian word 'Apopka' means and maybe they were onto something because it was in Lake Apopka that Timothy Kent captured what may turn out to be the biggest frog ever found.

Timothy was walking with his dog around the lake in late January when he heard a noise coming from the side of the lake. His dog, Scruffs, went to investigate and Tim followed.

"Scruffs was barking like crazy." Timothy told me, "He would stick his nose into this big bush and then come out and just howl up a storm. I grabbed him back and took a look and saw the frog. He had gotten tangled up in a plastic six pack holder that was caught on a limb so he couldn't go anywhere. I unhooked him and grabbed him by the leg and dragged him out."

Tim Kent holds up his new found pet.

Timothy put the frog into a box and put it in the garage. His Father was surprised by the find when he came home from work that night.

"Timothy told me he had something to show me but I didn't expect that." said Christian Kent. "I took one look at it and then had Timmy get the bathroom scale. Near as we could figure that thing weighed 28 pounds."

The next day Christian called Gregg Hope with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and told him the story.

"I didn't believe him at first," says Hope, "But it was a slow day so I went over to the Kent's and took a look. That's the biggest damn frog I have ever seen."

Hope contacted Hydrologist Jerrold Bankman with the Saint John's River Water Management who came by the Kent's and saw the animal.

"It's a big specimen but I'm not too surprised since it came from Lake Apopka." stated Bankman "Lake Apopka is currently one of the most polluted lakes in Florida. Since the 20's sewage from the town of Winter Garden, waster water from various citrus processing plants and other runoffs have made it a seriously damaged ecosystem. Last year we were finding baby alligators which processed complete sets of both sexual organs. Obviously the frog's size is directly related to the chemicals which have been poured into the lake."

Although it may be a monster grown through chemicals the frog is doing fine at the Kent home. Timothy has built a pen for it and feeds it up to a pound of grubs and crickets a day. Timothy helps around the house to raise money for the feed which comes from a bait and tackle store nearby.

"I think it's a good pet for him," said Christian Kent. "It's odd enough that he won't get tired of it and taking care of it means he doesn't have time to get into trouble."

Unfortunately the frog wasn't home when I visited. He's been taken to the Florida Fish and Wildlife offices in Gainesville to have testing done. Tim hopes his new friend will be back with him shortly.

"I miss him and Scruffs likes him to," said Tim. "They promised to have him back to me by March so I can take him to school to show him off."

sources

-interview with Christian and Timothy Kent, February 10th, 1998

-interview with Gregg Hope, February 11th 1998

phone interview with Jerrold Bankman, February 11th, 1998

photo courtesy of the Orlando Sun - Times



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