If you haven’t seen it yet, here is the frog that looks like Jabba the Hutt! Yeah, that’s right, a real-life Jabba! Move over, cute internet cats and fluffy dogs, this blunt-headed burrowing frog is taking your place in the spotlight!

Apparently,  Twitter user Koshin0919 shared some pictures of this peculiar-looking creature that was found in Cambodia, and it instantly went viral. People were speculating what kind of animal it was, with some suggesting that it was a turtle with no shell. But, thanks to a conservation biologist named Jodi Rowley, we now know that it’s a species of frog known as Glyphoglossus molossus or the “balloon frog.”

 

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The Blunt-Headed Burrowing Frog’s Unusual Features And Size Drew The Interest Of The Online Community

 

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This frog spends most of its life underground, but when it rains, it emerges in large numbers to breed explosively in temporary bodies of water. And get this, when it’s threatened, it puffs up even more as a form of self-defense. It’s like the frog version of a blowfish! Everyone engaged in the conversation was curious what was up with this frog, and Twitter user Jodi Rowley, a passionate frog enthusiast and conservation biology clarified the frog dilemma in her tweet:

 

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Unfortunately, despite its exotic appearance, this frog is a delicacy in Thailand, which has caused its over-exploitation. That’s why the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized it as a “Near Threatened” species and recommends against collecting frogs at breeding sites to ensure its conservation.

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m starting to feel bad for Jabba the Hutt. First, he gets killed in “Return of the Jedi,” and now there’s a frog that looks like him that’s in danger of extinction. Who would’ve thought that the fate of a slug-like alien from a sci-fi movie would be so alike that of a frog? But, hey, that’s the beauty of discovering new and unknown animals. It sparks conversation and raises awareness of the importance of conservation! Also it looks pretty bad-ass and alien, so there’s that too! Strange planet we live on, don’t you think?