East Timor Hopping Mad Over Australian Toad Invasion

by Vinny | September 9, 2008 at 04:40 am

873 views | 27 Recommendations | 20 comments

Cane toads originally were introduced to Australia from Hawaii in 1935, about 3000 were released by scientists in an attempt to control the sugar cane beetle there are now about 200 million in Australia.

Australia troops bring toad pest to East Timor
(Reuters)
Reuters - Australia’s military was accused on
Tuesday of opening the gates to an invasion force of cane toad
pests when it led international peacekeepers into East Timor to
end a pro-Indonesia militia slaughter there in 1999.

On a personal note I used to own a stuffed Australian Cane Toad very similar to the one below that I sold on Ebay for about 6 pounds.

A truly stuffed cane toad, originally uploaded by marmalademook.

The Cane Toad has poison glands, and the tadpoles are highly toxic to most animals if ingested. Because of its voracious appetite, the Cane Toad has been introduced to many regions of the Pacific and the Caribbean islands as a method of agricultural pest control, notably failing in the case of Australia in 1935, and derives its common name from its use against the greyback cane beetle pests. The Cane Toad is now considered a pest in many of its introduced regions, because its toxic skin kills many native predators when ingested. It has many negative effects on farmers because of pets and animals eating the creatures.

Stuffed cane toads at Mindil beach markets, originally uploaded by paddy bannon.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Amy Judd

at 09:18 on September 9th, 2008

It's like that Simpsons episode with the lizards...

Christina 123

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:56 on September 9th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff. Toads are so repulsive, and yet...so lovable!

Vinny

at 12:06 on September 9th, 2008

Thanks Christina, I think toads are great and would love a toad purse like the one in the pic!

rosyfinch

at 12:30 on September 9th, 2008

The toad in my photos got very upset when I picked him up by one leg and brought him out in the open for a picture. He started oozing white milky poison from the glands behind its eyes that ended up dripping all over the place. That stuff can kill, but who wants to eat it?

Vinny

at 12:35 on September 9th, 2008

I would get very upset if you picked me up by one leg to take my photo!

Thanks for the pics rosyfinch.

rosyfinch

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:35 on September 9th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff. This toad is invading South Florida and driving out the native toads and frogs. Hundreds "sing" around our lake in the spring. Together, they sound like a huge diesel engine groaning up a hill. Their tadpoles coat the bottom of the shoals around the edge of the lake.

Vinny

at 13:12 on September 9th, 2008

Thanks for the flag rosyfinch, what with this and the recent parrot uprising in New Zealand I am becoming quite concerned.

Edwinistrator

at 13:12 on September 9th, 2008

Arnhem Highway, Mary River Park (Australia). When it's getting dark, the show up. This is just a little fellow. They where with a whole bunch

Edwinistrator has contributed a photo to this story.

daturamarischild

at 13:24 on September 9th, 2008

Sad to see that more of the world is also dealing with these guys; "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly" should be more than just a kid's singalong! Thanks for requesting use of the photos our Florida invaders.

daturamarischild has contributed a photo to this story.

pauly4ever

at 14:14 on September 9th, 2008

A pic of a Cane toad taken in Noosa North shore. At night the roads and fields are full of cane toads hopping around.

pauly4ever has contributed a photo to this story.

rosyfinch

at 15:03 on September 9th, 2008

The Cane Toad tadpoles cover the bottom of shoals along the edge of our South Florida lake. They are said to be poisonous to herons and other predators when eaten.

Chaosphoto

at 15:11 on September 9th, 2008

I guess you would call this a "Teenage" Cane Toad. It's all downhill from here in the looks stakes.
I took this while working on the West Australian Cane Toad Project which started with the Dept of Agriculture and was adopted 6 months later by the Dept of CALM (Conservation and Land Management) who are still running it. I left it 2 years ago after almost 2 years working on it.
Another related group has a site at http://www.canetoads.com.au/ thats worth a visit

Chaosphoto has contributed a photo to this story.

MrClean1982

at 15:14 on September 9th, 2008

Although these little Cane toads are cute when they're young, they grow to almost a foot long. I've have had friends dogs get violently ill and die after tangling with them in South Florida.

MrClean1982 has contributed a photo to this story.

k.campbell85

at 22:19 on September 9th, 2008

Cane Toads freak me out... I ran up to one, to try and scare it - it turned around and looked at me rather than runing away!

Apparently they pop when you run them over.

k.campbell85 has contributed a photo to this story.

julie_g

at 00:46 on September 10th, 2008

took this pic of this baby cane toad at Lake Tinaroo in the Atherton Table Lands. Cane toads are in very high numbers through out most of australia and are a pest.

julie_g has contributed a photo to this story.

angelcub75

at 01:58 on September 10th, 2008

Was at Cairns Nth Queensland late night in Feb 2008 gong for a walk where these guys were everywhere in the park

angelcub75 has contributed a photo to this story.

RustoleumNC

at 06:08 on September 10th, 2008

Cane toads in a cinder block in Proserpine, Queensland, Australia.

RustoleumNC has contributed a photo to this story.

geerten

at 00:08 on September 11th, 2008

I took this photo in Katherine NT Aus.
On my way to Kununurra WA I saw a flattened toad on the road somewhere near Victoria roadhouse. That's how far he came.
It is a hopeless story for the native fauna, east of Katherine there are no more goanna's. Birds of pray and freshwater crocs also die because of the poison. And there is no way to get rid of them anymore. It will infest all of Australia.

geerten has contributed a photo to this story.