Snapping up a mouse with a big mouth: Frogmouth

The 'gamaguchi' (clasp purse) is named for the way it opens wide like a frog's mouth. It is said that clasp purses are good luck because the word for 'frog' (kaeru) is the same as the word for 'return,' implying that money spent will return to you, but what I am introducing here is not a wallet.

This is a bird that lives in Australia. It is often mistaken for an owl, but it is actually a type of nightjar. It is nocturnal and often stays still in trees during the day. Its name is 'Tawny Frogmouth,' and its Japanese name is 'Australia Gamaguchi Yotaka' (Australian Frogmouth Nightjar). As the name suggests, it is characterized by a large mouth that spreads wide like a frog's. It eats bugs and insects, but it is also said to eat small animals like frogs.

An acquaintance of mine rescues injured wild animals at home. A frogmouth was also being cared for there.

I was told, 'Try feeding it.' The food was, believe it or not, a frozen mouse. I warmed it up in the microwave and fed it just like that. It snapped it up in one bite.

When I looked up close, it really did have a huge mouth.