Toad solution: Scare them to death!

SCIENTISTS may have found the key to managing cane toads: scaring them to death. Professor Rob Capon is heading a group of scientists who believe they may be close to identifying an "alarm chemical'' in toad tadpoles that could be used to control the toxic pest.

He said when a tadpole was squished up and thrown into water it released a chemical that frightened the other tadpoles.

"It appears that the tadpole can detect the demise of one of its kin,'' he said.

"The tadpoles freak out and run away and hide because they are scared