Cane Toads in Australia
The success of the cane toad’s Australian invasion is partly due to its primary method of defence, a toxic secretion released from the parotoid gland in times of distress.
The toxin is so efficient that a cane toad’s preferred response to attack is to simply stand still and let the poison do its job, rather than try and escape.
In their native South America, cane toads have a number of natural predators including species of fish, snakes, eels, alligators and birds. In Australia however, most native species have no tolerance to cane toad toxin, and the same goes for pets. If ingested it will cause an increased heart rate, convulsions, paralysis and ultimately lead to death. Many animals perish attempting to eat them.
Cane toads are highly toxic at each life stage, from toad-spawn, through to tadpoles, smaller toads and full-sized adults. Their bodies are still toxic after death meaning road-kills, toads discarded in compost heaps and toads that end up exposed in landfill still present a threat to pets and wildlife.
Toads and Pets
Pets are drawn to cane toads through a desire to mouth them, attack them, play with them and eat them. The consequences can be severe.
If you suspect your dog has ingested cane toad toxin, wash its mouth out thoroughly with a cloth and cold water and take it to a vet immediately. The toad’s toxin coats the inside of the mouth and sticks to it. Washing the inside of the dog’s mouth and removing the sticky secretion will increase your dog’s chances of survival. Make sure you wash your hands afterwards.
Initial signs that your dog may have ingested cane toad toxin include bright red, sticky gums, pawing at the mouth, laboured breathing, significantly increased heart rate, vomiting, diarrhoea, distress and hallucinations, weakness, collapse and fitting.
Reduce the danger by keeping dogs inside at night and enquiring about toad-evasion training.
Toads and Agriculture
Cane toads have been wreaking havoc for the agricultural industry where they threaten the health of livestock. Cane toads survive well in the environment due to easy access to water and plentiful food.
One of their favourite foods is the dung beetle with large toads consuming over 150 a night. Dung beetles play a vital role in agriculture, quickly clearing away excrement before it can become a breeding ground for flies, worms and parasites. Toads have learned to sit on a pile of dung and wait for the beetles to come to them.
The presence of dung increases the release of harmful gasses into the atmosphere as well as causing health issues to livestock such as hoof-rot, infections in their eyes, nose and mouths, intestinal parasites and other digestive problems.
Farmers are encouraged to replace dams with underground water storage facilities for their livestock. Not only does this remove cane toad breeding habitat but it also significantly reduces mosquitoes, increases water storage capability, significantly improves water quality and stops water loss through evaporation.
Toads and Native Wildlife
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the spread of cane toads is the enormous threat they present to native wildlife and the Australian environment. Cane toads monopolise habitat in multiple ways:
- Their toxin makes them untouchable and unchallenged at each life-stage, from spawn to tadpole, right through to fully grown adult.
- Their breeding capability means they reproduce at an alarming rate and displace native species.
- They have insatiable appetites and out-compete natives for valuable food sources.
- They will eat anything smaller than themselves including small reptiles, mammals and marsupials. They have been observed eating snakes, lizards, frogs, bats, mice and other small rodents.
Snakes, quolls, frogs, and goannas are some of the worst affected nationally with some species being entirely wiped out in certain areas. Birds, fish, crocodiles, and bats are among the other native species threatened by cane toads.
Discussion Question: What is your personal reason for wanting to reduce cane toad numbers? Is it the danger they present to your pets, the threat they present to agriculture, the threat they present to native wildlife? Maybe it’s a totally different reason. Let us know below.
29 thoughts on “Cane Toads in Australia”
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My main reason for wanting to eradicate cane toads is the threat they present to native wildlife and they way they completely monopolise habitat. My property is overrun with them at the moment. Soon I hope to see a variety of different species in a thriving environment rather than just hundreds of cane toads hopping around and nothing else.
I also worry all the time that my dog is going to fall victim to a cane toad and I would love to not have to worry about this
I live on 10acres in beautiful Cedar Creek. Despite my efforts of catching, bagging and freezing the bastards there are just too many of them. I’d prefer the sounds of frogs and to see more diverse wildlife around.
However, now that I’ve learned just this little bit, I’m concerned for agriculture too.
I want to reduce the cane toad population on my property as I love our frogs and want to see them survive and thrive.
Having a dam on our property and lots of rock walls the numbers of cane toads on our property in Tamborine is excessive. I would just like to be able to see them exterminated completely and would like to do my part to help
We are trying to create a healthy, biodiverse patch of bush on our block which is home to a number of invasive plant and animal species. Removing toads is an integral part of making the environment healthier and more hospitable to native species.
With a background in conservation biology, I’d like to help do anything possible to help reduce numbers, the impact on domestic animals and help salvage some of our own threatened native frog species.
The reason we want to eradicate cane toads is to protect the native wildlife in our backyard. Our property borders onto a creek and, as well as the neighbour’s pond, this creates a perfect breading ground for cane toads and our property is overrun with them. Whilst I still meet native frogs in my garden, I want to protect them and create a safe environment for the native species. We are also beekeepers and we have noticed that the cane toads eat our bees when they are hanging outside their hive on warm nights.
We installed a large pond during the drought to provide water for wallabies and native birdlife. The cane toads have decided its a wonderful place to breed so we would like to trap them at the early stages and keep the population down. We have several different species of frogs as well so removing the toads will allow them to breed safely.
My main reason for eradicating cane toads is the threat to wild life and domestic animals. Recently we built a large pond as the drought dried up our creek so we wanted something for local wildlife and frogs/reptiles but the first thing it did was attract cane toads before the boundary was properly constructed.
We don’t have a lot but enough and we just want to try and get that done to none.
My reason for wanting to control cane toads is really multifaceted. Firstly, I love our native frogs and am aware that cane toads are not only a predator to them but also eat their natural food sources. Secondly, I am motivated to control the spread in my area along with my community who are likewise motivated. Thirdly, I have dogs and they cannot help but chase, sniff and dig out the toads from their hiding places. My 6 month old pup was found foaming at the mouth on one of these occasions recently. We administered immediate first aid and she was OK but it is a constant worry.
Their on-going impacts to native fauna and ecosystems
I want to try and reduce numbers so that the native animals that should live on property have a chance.
My main reason is for protection of my pet and surrounding wildlife.
Our lizard and goanna population is almost extinct, whereas they were plentiful some years ago. They arealso a risk to our own pets.
My main reason is my interest in Frogs. I go looking for frogs and find toads. I have eliminated them from my property in Greenbank and now have 6 species of frogs.
Foremost it’s ecology and environment, my 2 small dogs are easily trained and no longer go near Cane Toads, but I am currently re-establishing local species of plants on my 1 acre property and have found Green Tree Frogs and Ornate Burrowing frogs on my property as well as 2 types of native lizard, am making 2 ponds which are under construction and want their habitat to be as free from Cane Toads as possible, I am hoping to not only collect the eggs of Cane Toads but to also buy the traps that are under development to trap Cane Toad tadpoles as well and if I can get permission also do so in local water sources where they breed.
Restore balance to the natural ecosystem by reducing cane toad population.
I would like to reduce the number of cane toads for all the reasons above.
We lost our two resident pythons to cane toads. Enough.
Both for my own pets and the native wildlife
All for native wildlife preservation and that these toads should never have been here. Australia did not evolve with these hoppers and throwing them into our delicate ecology has devastated indigenous wildlife.
We live on 170 acre, we had one of our dogs hospitalized,just made it! Plus the danger it bring to native wildlife.
I have a dog and although he usually leaves them alone, I’m dreading the day he may not. I’ve also been buying and adding more native flowering plants to my garden to attract bees, insects and birds. I realise that won’t happen as easily with all these toads hopping around.
My main reason for wanting to eliminate cane toads is that they eat up the food sources for our native wildlife and displaces those species. We obviously care about the other reasons too, but I would like to see more natives in my yard, less cane toads.
With a background in conservation, we aim to anything possible to help reduce numbers and thus the impact on wildlife and all domestic animals.
Pythons, owls, goannas, frogs and many other native animals live on my property. I want to protect them as best I can. Their habitat is already severely threatened by climate change and development.
I want to reduce cane toad numbers to return the native system to equilibrium.
I want to keep my dogs from harm, and increase other native species
Because of the vast quantity of numbers on our small urban property in Brisbane and because of their threat to our pets. As well as this they disgust me so much. The other concern I have is for the native wildlife because we are making our property one that uses permaculture and this encourages so many native creatures that we are subjecting them to this.