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The Coleman Frog
Status: Tall-Tale Creature
The Coleman Frog, explains a recent article on Canada.com, is an enormous stuffed frog -- it weighs 19 kilograms, or about 42 lbs -- on display in the York-Sunbury Museum in Fredericton, Canada. According to legend, the frog originally belonged to Fred Coleman, who owned a lodge near Fredericton back in the 1880s. He used to feed it whiskey and whey, causing it to grow to its enormous size. After it died, he had it stuffed. It sat in the saloon of a hotel for a while before coming into the possession of the York-Sunbury Museum.There are skeptics who say that the Coleman Frog is a fake. They suggest that the frog was actually originally a display item used to advertise a cough medicine guaranteed to relieve "the frog in your throat" (See Canada's Mysterious Maritimes), but the York-Sunbury Museum dismisses such skepticism. Tim Andrew, a local expert on the frog who defends its reality, says, "I don't suppose we'll ever put the controversy to rest. It was suggested doing DNA testing on it, but I think we're reluctant to disturb the peace of a stuffed beast that's been around quite happily for 123 years now." (Thanks, Joe)
Posted By: Alex | Date: Mon Jul 30, 2007 | Permalink |
Total Comments: 10
Category: Animals, Tall Tales
Category: Animals, Tall Tales
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 1 of 1 pages
considering how fake it looks without dna testing, I don' think you would even need it xD
even so, I should write this location down and try and talk my best friend into going sometime... with his irrational fear of frogs and all :D!
Posted by Mera on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 02:08 PM
even so, I should write this location down and try and talk my best friend into going sometime... with his irrational fear of frogs and all :D!
The best place to live in the world is the maritimes ...
Posted by Dracul on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 07:29 PM
You'd think the "local expert" would be anxious to do a DNA test. Since he isn't, I would take that as strong evidence it's a fake he doesn't want exposed. He might also lose his "local expert" status.
I also find it hard to believe this frog grew big from a diet of whiskey and whey. That may have fooled people in 1880 but not now.
Posted by Captain Al in Alberta, Canada on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 07:39 PM
I also find it hard to believe this frog grew big from a diet of whiskey and whey. That may have fooled people in 1880 but not now.
Don't think it'd need a dna test, would it? Surely you'd just need to look at a tissue sample under a microscope?
Posted by outeast in Prague, Czech Rep on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 02:54 AM
Dracul:
Best, or coldest?
Posted by Big Gary in Cactus, Texas on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 04:44 PM
Best, or coldest?
Stuffed? My ass. Actually, my ass does look more like a large frog than that thing does, stuffed or not. Looks like plaster. The frog, not my ass. Ribit
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 06:18 PM
The frog is real, Fred Coleman is a fake.
Posted by Christopher Cole in Tucson, AZ on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 08:59 PM
This ain’t a hoax, it’s a JOKE. No one believes this papier-mache mockup is a real stuffed animal, and no one who says it is thinks anyone is taking them seriously.
Posted by Robin in Saltsjöbaden, Sweden on Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 06:57 PM
I find it amazing that people from Sweden, just from looking at a picture, can denounce this which such assurity.
People who cry fake without actually looking at it should stop and think about the history of it.
1) I don't know if it is fake or not nor do I necessarily believe one way or the other but it is a unique piece of local history either way.
2) If it is real, consider that it is over 100 years old. Any living tissue would naturally become tight and leathery due to age.( I have seen stuffed and mounted fish of about the same age who no one questions the validity of that look just as "fake".)
3)The nature of stuffing any creature requires that the skin/pelt/scales etc be placed around a form to hold its shape. If the form is not perfect, then the animal will not look real.
I invite all who posted to come to Fredericton and view this piece of history for themselves. You may not believe but you will have the pleasure of comeing to one of the nicest places in the world.
Posted by Rod in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada on Mon Aug 06, 2007 at 08:26 AM
People who cry fake without actually looking at it should stop and think about the history of it.
1) I don't know if it is fake or not nor do I necessarily believe one way or the other but it is a unique piece of local history either way.
2) If it is real, consider that it is over 100 years old. Any living tissue would naturally become tight and leathery due to age.( I have seen stuffed and mounted fish of about the same age who no one questions the validity of that look just as "fake".)
3)The nature of stuffing any creature requires that the skin/pelt/scales etc be placed around a form to hold its shape. If the form is not perfect, then the animal will not look real.
I invite all who posted to come to Fredericton and view this piece of history for themselves. You may not believe but you will have the pleasure of comeing to one of the nicest places in the world.
I have visited the frog and I am a true believer that it is real. As the legend goes, the Coleman Frog was also fed junebugs and would follow Fred around as when he visited the lake where the frog lived. Fred was quite heartbroken when local fishermen "accidently" killed his good friend.
If you ever visit the museum take a look at the photos and you would see that in one picture the frog is holding his head up as Fred is feeding him.
There are other photos of the frog when stuffed where his skin appears to have a more natural appearance.
Fred actually owned the hotel where the frog lived after it was taxidermied in Maine. After Fred passed away the frog's protective cover was removed and the hotel patrons used him as an ashtray. When the frog was donated to the museum the burn holes were filled in and someone painted him green to hide the damage.
I have been visiting the frog since my childhood and I will always believe!
Posted by RM in Fredericton on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 03:56 PM
If you ever visit the museum take a look at the photos and you would see that in one picture the frog is holding his head up as Fred is feeding him.
There are other photos of the frog when stuffed where his skin appears to have a more natural appearance.
Fred actually owned the hotel where the frog lived after it was taxidermied in Maine. After Fred passed away the frog's protective cover was removed and the hotel patrons used him as an ashtray. When the frog was donated to the museum the burn holes were filled in and someone painted him green to hide the damage.
I have been visiting the frog since my childhood and I will always believe!
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