"Jabba the Hutt is real!" Strange creature causes hilarious reactions on the internet

Phnom Penh, Cambodia - An odd-looking creature is causing a stir on the web and it's easy to see why!

Lim Khyhong proudly holds the extraordinary little animal.
Lim Khyhong proudly holds the extraordinary little animal.  © Fotomontage: Facebook/Screenshot/Lim Khyhong

Huge bloated body, tiny feet, and a fleshy chin – thousands of people are wondering if this animal is even real.

Facebook user Lim Khyhong posted a picture of a mysterious creature he had found, asking if anyone knew what it was.

According to Khyong, the animal lives underground and only comes to the surface about once or twice a year.

His post kicked off a whole lot of speculation, with some people suggesting it could be a turtle without its shell, and others claiming Khyhong was just fooling his friends with a figurine.

But they were all wrong, as it turned out.

Biologist Jodi Rowley solves the mystery

The following day, Jodi Rowley, a conservation biologist and self-proclaimed frog lover, became aware of the post and revealed the weird critter's real identity.

"It's a Blunt-headed Burrowing Frog" she wrote, a species also known as balloon frog. "Native to drier parts of mainland SE Asia, this species spends most of its life underground, waiting for rain."

The frog's hilarious-looking squishy body actually keeps the animal safe from potential threats.

According to Rowley, the frog is "puffing up" to look "big and scary."

Rowley's followers were not creeped out by the tiny animal at all. On the contrary, they found the "puffed up" attitude hilarious.

"Looks like me after Xmas dinner," one joked.

"Jabba the Hutt is real!" another one wrote, hinting at a fat Star Wars character with an immense double chin, and he was among many who noticed the striking resemblance.

But the strange frog is certainly more innocent than its film lookalike.

Cover photo: Fotomontage: Facebook/Screenshot/Lim Khyhong

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