Beelzebufo Segments

Beelzebufo3 Appearances
Presence
Freshwater (Segment 5) 1 adult male Swamps (Segment 3) 1 adult male What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs? Stock footage from Freshwater and Swamps

Main

Segments

MainSegments

These are Prehistoric Planet segments which feature Beelzebufo.

Freshwater

The fifth segment of the episode takes place in Madagascar, where a shallow river, slow in flow due to being broadened, is depositing sediments by the banks. From the shoals of the river, dozens of crabs emerge. Suddenly, some of the crabs are grabbed by a female Masiakasaurus, prompting some of the crabs to scurry back down in the sand or hide under driftwood. One crab, while in her jaws, nips her upper lip, but she just shakes it off & swallows the crab down.

Beelzebufo devours a juvenile Masiakasaurus

As she continues to hunt crabs, from cover, her three chicks run out to her, and she drops them a dying crab to eat, for they are not yet ready to hunt large crabs. As the three feast on the crab, one of them, made impatient by the greedy tugging of its siblings, decides to pursue food on its own. It eyes a small crab that can be swallowed whole, but just as it ran at the crustacean, it had already retreated under a piece of driftwood, its speed serving as compensation for its small size. As the juvenile continues running across the shoal, poking through the ground and hunting for crabs on its own, its mother tries to call out to it to caution the chick not to stray too far. Still, the juvenile, upon seeing another crab to hunt, runs towards its prey. Suddenly, out of one of the shoal's pools, a large amphibian leaps out, snatching the juvenile from the ground with its tongue, pulling it into its mouth in under a second.

“ Beelzebufo, the 'Devil Toad', one of the largest frogs that has ever existed. He won't need to feed again for a month. These sandbars may be a rich feeding ground, but there can be a high price to pay for living here. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

Watching in surprise as their sibling is devoured by the Beelzebufo, the two chicks run for their mother and hide behind her as she stares in disbelief at the toad. His hunger satiated for a month, Beelzebufo sinks back down into his pool. With nothing more that can be done about what just happened, the mother Masiakasaurus leaves the shoal with her two surviving offspring.

Swamps

	Swamps, Segment III
	Setting Maevarano Formation, Mahajanga Province, Madagascar Filming Location Lower Zambezi National Park, Lusaka Province, southeast Zambia

Swamps, Segment III

Setting
Maevarano Formation, Mahajanga Province, Madagascar

Filming Location
Lower Zambezi National Park, Lusaka Province, southeast Zambia

Masiakasaurus drinking from a river

“ In Northern Madagascar, conditions are already changing. The first rain in months is reviving the parched land. As pools and channels refill, the animals return. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

In the third segment of Swamps, as rains bring back the rivers and marshes of Madagascar, a Masiakasaurus runs across the quenched lands, and stops by a pool of water to drink. Suddenly, seeing an incoming threat, the Masiakasaurus yelps in surprise and fear.

“ And they're not all dinosaurs. Lurking in these muddy pools is a monster. Beelzebufo, the 'Devil Toad'. It's so big, it can swallow a small dinosaur whole. But this male isn't here to hunt. He is looking for a mate. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

The small theropod runs off as a male Beelzebufo drives it away with a guttural bellow. However, the toad is uninterested in eating the small dinosaur, and instead returns to his muddy pool, intent on finding a mate.

“ Female devil toads are fussy, so he needs to find a good spot. Only then will he he able to entice them in. His deep croaks travel far and wide. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

Patiently, the Beelzebufo sits in his pool, calling out to any female in the area that might reciprocate his desire to mate. For a long while, however, nothing answers him, the half-dry muddy riverbed silent. However, he soon hears the sound of something else, something he doesn't appear pleased to hear.

A herd of Rapetosaurus arrives

“ This isn't quite what he was hoping for. Fifty foot-long Rapetosaurs. They have been attracted here by the promise of a mud bath. For Beelzebufo, their timing couldn't be much worse. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

A herd of six Rapetosaurus have arrived to take a mud bath in the river bed. Looking up in disbelief, the Beelzebufo flinches back for a moment before scurrying away as the sauropods stomp down on his pool and proceed to roll around in the mud.

Beelzebufo gauging how far he is from his destination

“ His pools now lie beneath 70 tonnes of sauropod. Time is short. Female devil toads will only mate at the start of the rainy season. He needs a new pool. There's one. Reaching it will be dangerous. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

Retreating up a log at the edge of the river, the Beelzebufo assesses the situation, watching on as the six titanosaurs relieve themselves right where used to sit. Spotting an undisturbed pool of mud beyond the sauropods, just by a patch of fresh vegetation, he tumbles off, walking and leaping across the lumpy terrain, making the risky trip to get to where he wants to be. Just as he gets close, the rolling titanosaurs splatter around some mud, which the toad nonchalantly rubs off his face before finally settling down in his new pool.

Beelzebufo growls up at a Rapetosaurus

“ Finally he's got there... but he's been noticed. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

As he settled down, trying to get his bearings straight, one Rapetosaurus notices him, and curiously approaches him. At first, the Beelzebufo, blinking at the sight of the sauropod's muzzle slowly coming towards him, backs off, sinking slightly into his pond. Eventually, however, as the sauropod continues to inspect him, he loses his temper and leaps forward at the Rapetosaurus, growling in irritation. The titanosaur, getting the message, backs away as the frog gives out another croak of anger.

“ Time to try more singing. But he can't make himself heard above the sound of satisfied sauropods. Luckily for him, there's one thing that Rapetosaurs enjoy even more than wallowing in mud, and that is food. The hungry herd moves on, although not without leaving something useful behind. Dozens of giant footprints, full of water. Perfect for a Beelzebufo to continue his quest for a mate. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

Turning around, the Beelzebufo returns to his priorities for the day, calling for females to mate with. However, his croaks are drowned out by the satisfied rumbling growls of the titanosaurs. Still, he perseveres, continuing his song in hopes that a female would hear and reciprocate. Eventually, feeling hungry, the Rapetosaurus herd leaves, and the Beelzebufo, taking advantage of the deep puddles formed by their footprints, leaps into a new pool, singing his guttural song of courtship once again.

A river in the Maevarano Formation

“ A devil toad can only survive here because every year, the land is flooded by seasonal rains. However, there are places where changing climate means the rains are less certain. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

The segment ends with a view of the river (or, at the very least, another section of it), now fully replenished, the constantly-wet environment just right for amphibians, a sharp contrast to the setting of the following segment, which takes place in a dry basin deprived of rain for a decade.

Uncovered: What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?

	What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?
	Subject The other weird and wonderful creatures that lived alongside the dinosaurs, from Beelzebufo, marine reptiles, and pterosaurs, to their successors, mammals. Experts Dr. Darren Naish, Dr. Marc Jones, Dr. Mark Witton, Professor Anjali Goswami

What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?

Subject
The other weird and wonderful creatures that lived alongside the dinosaurs, from Beelzebufo, marine reptiles, and pterosaurs, to their successors, mammals.

Experts
Dr. Darren Naish, Dr. Marc Jones, Dr. Mark Witton, Professor Anjali Goswami

“ So what were some of the animals living alongside the dinosaurs? One of the most surprising was this. The biggest frog to have ever lived. ”

― David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet: Uncovered - What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?

Footage of Beelzebufo from Freshwater and Swamps is used for this Uncovered segment, which is dedicated to the other animals that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. With its large, wide body (said to be the size of a small dog) and proportionally large head, this amphibian is noteworthy enough to serve as the segment's first focus.

“ It had armored skull bones and armored backbone, heavily reinforced, and big, strong jaws. ”

― Marc Jones, Curator, Fossil Reptiles

"A fearsome hunter, with an appearance to match," Beelzebufo is stated to have an especially powerful bite force that allowed it to grab, subdue, and kill relatively large prey, up to the size of juvenile dinosaurs. Following this, the dominance of marine reptiles over the oceans and seas of the Mesozoic is discussed.

Trivia

Swamps

• The idea of titanosaurs being a nuisance for anurans reflects how, even today, large animals may unintentionally disrupt the mating and breeding activities of frogs and toads.
• Rapetosaurus tracks and wallowing traces were simulated by several tools and techniques, including a plastic bin that served as a makeshift sauropod foot.