the threat of the cane toad
Cane toads have an impressive array of highly toxic chemical defences available to them at almost all stages of their lives. The toxins occur in their skin and organs and can be secreted by large glands at the back of the animal’s head when it is threatened. As a result, toads will poison many predators that attempt to eat them.
Much anecdotal and some documented evidence exists around cane toad impacts on native predators, including quolls, snakes, goannas and freshwater crocodiles, all of which may be lethally poisoned when they attempt to eat toads. Although some may recover, many individual predators die when they are first exposed to cane toads and populations soon start to decline.
For some species (most notably the quoll), it appears that recovery is, at best, limited. For example, populations of northern quoll were under stress from other factors, but with the arrival of cane toads in the Northern Territory and subsequent rapid population declines, they have been recognised under Federal legislation as endangered and under Northern Territory legislation as critically endangered.
As they colonise areas of human habitation, toads can be of frequent nuisance value and a health concern to residents. The risk of children or pets being poisoned from contact with toads is an important consideration.
For Aboriginal people using traditional food sources, the impact of toads on some of the native predator species used as bush tucker (such as goannas) is also of concern.
Cane toads can produce large numbers of offspring and are colonising northern Australia at an increasingly rapid pace. Research from the University of Sydney indicates that they also appear to be evolving adaptations to suit their new environment, enabling the colonising toads to move more quickly.
Much anecdotal and some documented evidence exists around cane toad impacts on native predators, including quolls, snakes, goannas and freshwater crocodiles, all of which may be lethally poisoned when they attempt to eat toads. Although some may recover, many individual predators die when they are first exposed to cane toads and populations soon start to decline.
For some species (most notably the quoll), it appears that recovery is, at best, limited. For example, populations of northern quoll were under stress from other factors, but with the arrival of cane toads in the Northern Territory and subsequent rapid population declines, they have been recognised under Federal legislation as endangered and under Northern Territory legislation as critically endangered.
As they colonise areas of human habitation, toads can be of frequent nuisance value and a health concern to residents. The risk of children or pets being poisoned from contact with toads is an important consideration.
For Aboriginal people using traditional food sources, the impact of toads on some of the native predator species used as bush tucker (such as goannas) is also of concern.
Cane toads can produce large numbers of offspring and are colonising northern Australia at an increasingly rapid pace. Research from the University of Sydney indicates that they also appear to be evolving adaptations to suit their new environment, enabling the colonising toads to move more quickly.