What Is A Cane Toad?
Cane toads are very warty, stout amphibians with dry, rough skin that ranges from olive or reddish brown to a grey or even yellowish colour. They have a bony head with ridges above their eyes as well as glands on their upper neck that releases a toxin that is deadly to small animals.Cane toads are native to Mexico and South America. Cane toads in Australia are mainly found in the tropical climate zone (above the Tropic of Capricorn) with some populations down in the temperate zone. The latitude/longitude of Queensland is 20 degrees 55 seconds South and 142 degrees and 42 seconds East.
Cane Toad Facts
Cane toads are carnivorous. They eat mainly insects, however, they are opportunistic feeders and also eat small mammals, snakes, lizards, frogs and even dog food.
They were released into the Australia in 1935 with the hope that they would control the destructive cane beetle population that was ruining the sugar cane crops. They turned out to be failures at controlling beetles, but, quickly reproduced and spread themselves. About 3,000 cane toads were released in the sugarcane plantations of North Queensland in 1935. Females can lay up to 35,000 eggs per spawn, with multiple spawns in a year. They now number well into the millions, and their still expanding range covers thousands of square miles in Eastern Australia. Cane toads pose a dangerous threat to Australian native species. With no natural predators and lots of food sources, they have spread quickly since their release. |
Map of Cane Toad Location in Australia |
How Geography Helped Them
Geography has helped the cane toad species spread over part of Australia since the land is mostly flat and there aren't many hills or mountain ranges. However the Great Dividing Range in North Queensland has kept the toads mainly near the coast. Another reason they have survived is that Australia has enough rainfall (see rainfall chart) so the cane toads will always be moist an won't dry out and die (as they are amphibians). Also as we do not have much snow or ice and the desert and very hot temperatures are only in the middle of Australia, that leaves plenty of land for the cane toads to move into.
In Australia they have no predators that can eat them because of their toxin. Because Australia is an island, predators would need to be brought in from other countries. cane toads are mainly found in subtropical zones . Mexico is also a subtropical zone so,that is why they are doing so well. Economic ImpactThe cane toads have eaten or killed lots of Australia's native wild life.
Our wild life has always been major tourist attraction. Since cane toads have killed a lot of our native animals we may not have as many overseas visitors to Australia, which means we won't get as much money from tourists. They also impact on the beekeeping industry. Exact amounts weren't available, but a range of costs are being met by both the Australian Government and individual communities, including:
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Rainfall Chart in Australia |
Community Impact
Communities have set up groups like Toad Busters trying to reduce cane toads numbers by getting together groups of people who will go out regularly and collect cane toads. After finding the toads they put them in the freezer so they die the most painless way possible, as recommended by the RSPCA.