There are over 240 species of native frog in Australia, but only one invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina). Cane toads have widespread impacts, causing declines in native wildlife, poisoning domestic pets and disturbing ecosystem balances and local agriculture.
Some frogs can look similar, so it’s important to know what to look for to identify cane toads at every life stage.
If you’re not sure whether you have a cane toad or native frog, please leave the animal alone in the environment. It can help to take a picture and have an expert confirm what species it is to learn for next time, but please don’t keep animals captive or euthanise if you’re unsure.
We’re happy to help with identification requests, send a few clear photos to [email protected] and we will respond as soon as we can!
Cane toad eggs
Cane toads have a breeding season, which is during warm, wet, and humid summer months. Female cane toads will lay between 8,000 and 35,000 eggs in one clutch and may lay up to 2 clutches per year.
How can you tell if the eggs in your garden are cane toad eggs? This stage is easy to identify with a few key features.
Cane toad eggs are laid in a long jelly string. The eggs are contained within the string, and do not have an individual casing.
Cane toads will breed opportunistically, sometimes in small water sources or even puddles. Their eggs sink underneath the water.
Cane toads can lay up to 35,000 eggs at a time. They only last for three days, so pull out strings if you see them!
Native frog eggs
With more than 240 species of native frog in Australia, their eggs will vary depending on the species. Frog egg clutches range in size and hatching time, from just 16 eggs for the Corroboree Frog to nearly 4000 for the Bleating Tree Frog.
How can you tell if the eggs in your garden are frog eggs? They look very different to cane toad eggs.
Some frog eggs are laid in foamy clumps. The frog will use their back legs to kick up the froth, which prevents desiccation of the eggs and keeps them out of the water, reducing predation.
Most frogs lay their eggs in the water among vegetation, although some will lay their eggs in trees or on land. Pictured: Spotted Marsh Frog
Some frog eggs are laid in a jelly clump. Each egg will have a casing around it, providing buoyancy, protection, and support for the eggs.
Cane toad tadpoles
How can you tell if the tadpoles in your garden are cane toad tadpoles? This stage is easy to identify with a few key physical and behavioural features. Use a combination of these features and don’t ID on body colour alone, as there are some native frog tadpoles that appear dark brown or black.
Controlling the tadpole stage is easy with our pheromone based trap and lure technology, which makes it easy to remove cane toad tadpoles before they grow up to cause damage.
Cane toad tadpoles are jet black, with a diamond shaped head and eyes on the side of their head. Tadpoles’ colour can change overnight, so always ID during the day in natural light.
Cane toad tadpoles have a transparent tail frill. They are about 30mm in length from tail to tip, smaller than the average native tadpole. Catch one in a glass for a good look!
Cane toad tadpoles will typically swarm together in large groups, preferring warm shallow water.
Native frog tadpoles
Native frog tadpoles come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. They range from bold colours and patterns, to dull mottled browns. Some have a dark brown body, but other identifying features will show they are not cane toad tadpoles.
How can you tell if the tadpoles in your garden are frog tadpoles? They have a different appearance and behaviour to toad tadpoles.
Frog tadpoles will come in a variety of shapes and colours, often with a rounded head and mottled body. Pictured: Brown Tree Frog tadpole
Frog tadpoles will come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are typically larger than toad tadpoles and with a longer tail. They will have colouration on their tail frill. Pictured: Orange Thighed Frog tadpole
Native frog tadpoles are typically more independent than toad tadpoles. If available, they will often be scattered amongst vegetation in cooler water. Pictured: Green Tree Frog tadpoles
Juvenile cane toads
If you are new to the amphibian world, this can be the hardest stage to be ID confident in. However, once you get more familiar with Cane Toads and native frogs, you will find that you are able to tell them apart, keep learning and don’t remove any animals if you’re not sure.
Juvenile cane toads vary in size, colour and shape depending on their stage of development. It can take a toad around 18 months to reach sexual maturity, although this time depends on environmental conditions.
Juvenile cane toads are developing their paratoid glands and bony eye brow ridge. These features become more apparent as they grow. This young toad has orange spots.
The paratoid gland and bony eye brow ridge, meeting in an M over the nose, becomes more apparent as the cane toad grows. The colouration changes as they mature, becoming lighter with more defined spots.
Juvenile toads are diurnal (active both day and night). They are quick and can be hard to catch. Often appearing in large numbers after a breeding event, they can resemble a “moving carpet.”
Small native frogs
Native frogs that are a similar size to juvenile cane toads can be either young frogs, or just a small species. Native frogs come in a great variety of colours, shapes, sizes and patterns. Some of these frogs may even be full grown, but are still small once they’ve reached maturity and may look similar to an untrained eye.
While Australia does not have any native toads, there are native toadlets which can look similar to juvenile Cane Toads. These are not true toads but frog species from the Uperoleia genus which are given this name as they share several features with toads, including glandular skin.
Native frogs tend to be solitary and are unlikely to be observed in large groups. They may be found across a variety of habitats including dry forests and woodlands. Pictured: Smooth Toadlet
Adult native frogs may be similar sizes to juvenile Cane Toads. Many of these native frogs can be distinguished by their dark, rounded pupils. Pictured: Common Eastern Froglet
Some native frogs may have small glands and similar skin texture to Cane Toads. It is important to check for other ID features, including the bony eyebrow ridge which is absent in native frogs, before identifying these species. Pictured: Wrinkled Toadlet
Adult cane toads
There are over 240 different species of native frog in Australia, but the Cane Toad is the only species of true toad in Australia. This means there are a few key things to look for to identify whether you have a Cane Toad or native frog. It’s always important to use at least three features to ID Cane Toads, as some species of frogs share some, but not all of these features.
Cane toads are active after dusk during warm summer months. Cane toads have a distinctive mating call. Follow it to a water source and you’ll be sure to find a male cane toad waiting for a female partner. In cooler weather, they enter torpor, a state similar to hibernation, and you will likely only find them under logs or rocks.
Cane toads are most active after dusk. They have an upright stance and slow, lurching hop, using their poison as their main defence against predation.
Cane toads have a well defined paratoid gland on their shoulder. This is behind their circular eardrum. They will excrete a milky poison from their paratoid glands when stressed.
Adult cane toads have a well developed bony eye brow, meeting in an M shaped ridge over their nose. This gives them a distinctive, angular face shape.
Native frogs
With more than 240 species of native frog in Australia, there’s a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. Ground-dwelling frogs are most commonly mistaken for cane toads and they share some secondary features with toads, such as dry, bumpy skin and unwebbed claws without toe pads.
Can you tell the difference between these frogs and cane toads?
Frogs have rounded eyes and rounded snouts. They often, but not always, have round pupils. Pictured: Striped Marsh Frog
Unwebbed feet are not a reliable ID feature, as ground dwelling frogs share these “claw” like toes. Pictured: Ornate Burrowing Frog
Amphibians can change their colouration to match their surroundings, so it’s important not to ID on colour alone. Pictured: Tusked Frog
Want to learn how to control cane toads and remove these pests safely?