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There is only one species of toads found in Australia - the Cane or Giant Toad (Bufo marinus). They do not occur in Kioloa! (View the map beside)
History
This species was introduced to Australia by the sugar cane industry to control two pests of sugar cane, the grey backed beetle and the frenchie beetle. One hundred and one toads arrived at Edmonton in North Queensland in June 1935. Unseasonal breeding occured almost immediately, and within 6 months over 60,000 young toads had been released.
B. marinus adapted well to the Australian environment and spread throughout coastal Queensland.
Currently they are expanding their distribution and occur in over 45 % of Queensland, and much of northern NSW. They are spreading rapidly in the Northern Territory. (See beside)
The Cane Toad was unsuccessful at its task to reduce the pests of sugar cane but became a pest itself!
They are considered a pest in Australia because:
- they poison pets and injure humans with their toxins
- they poison many native animals whose diet includes frogs, tadpoles and frog's eggs
- they eat large numbers of honey bees, creating a mangement problem for beekeepers
- they prey on native fauna
- they compete for food with vertebrates insectivores such as small skinks
- they may carry diseases that can be transmitted to native frogs and fishes
© 2003