Cane Toad Electronic Resource

1. The Introduced Cane Toad
In Australia
Ben Thompson
18458800

2. Introduced Species
Many non-native species have have been introduced
deliberately and accidentally to Australia through out
our history.
Some examples include foxes, cats, carp, camels,
rabbits, pigs and fire ants.
Some of these species have had positive effects on
the environment and some have not.
One species that has had negative impacts on the
environment is the cane toad.

3. Examples of Introduced Species in Australia.

4. The Cane Toad
The Cane Toad (Bufo Marinus) was introduced to
Australia in 1935 from Hawaii.
The Cane Toad has toxic glands on its shoulders
which contain toxins that affect the heart and
nervous system.
The toad is toxic all the way through its life cycle and
lives for approx 5 years.
Females usually breed twice a year and can lay any
from 8000 to 35000 eggs at a time.

5. The Cane Toad

6. Why was it Introduced
During the 1930’s the sugar cane industry was
booming is Australia.
The Cane Toad was introduced in an attempt to
combat the Cane Beetle.
The Cane Beetle was ravaging Northern
Queensland’s sugar cane plantations.
101 Cane Toads were released in an attempt to
eradicate the beetle.

7. Did this work?
Unfortunately the Cane Beetle very quickly adapted
to living in the upper areas of the sugar cane crops
where the Cane Toad could not reach.
The Cane Toad simply found other organism to eat
(mainly insects) and started breeding at an extremely
rapid rate and spreading from Northern Queensland
towards the South.

8. Map Showing the Spread of
the Cane Toad as of 2008.

9. What impacts have they
had on Australian
Ecosystems?The cane toad has threatened the health of many
native species including crocodiles, snakes, goannas,
dingoes and birds.
Also due to the Cane Toads large stature and
numbers they have muscled out smaller native frogs
interrupting their food webs.
They can also transmit diseases they carry to other
frogs and fish.

10. Control Measures
The government has implemented quarantine sites
between state borders.
People go out of their way to kill the cane toads
themselves by clubbing them, freezing them or
running them over (some of these measures are very
inhumane).
Unfortunately at this stage there is no broad scale
control measure which is effective.

11. Recommendations for the
Future!
Research is being conducted in order to interrupt the
Cane Toads breeding cycles to stem the population.
Small fences can be erected around waterways to
prevent the Cane Toads from contaminating these
ecosystems.
Maintain a high standard of quarantine procedures
at ports and airports.
Take great care when introducing species for
scientific purposes.

12. Conclusion
Greater research needs to take place before
introducing a species like the Cane Toad.
At the time I’m sure it looked like a great way to
combat the Cane Beetle.
But it is imperative that the wider impacts and
consequences for the environment are investigated
prior to introduction so as to avoid catastrophe in the
future.

13. References
CSIRO 2003, The Cane Toad.
Tyler, M 1975, The cane toad (Bufo marinus).
Department on the Environment, Water, Heritage
and the Arts 2010, The cane toad (Bufo marinus).
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 2015,
European Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes). (image)

14. References
Giant Carp 2010, image, ABC, viewed 10 April 2016,
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-08-18/an-angler-
holds-two-tone-a-giant-30kg-mirror-carp/948442>
NSW Government - Office of Environment and
Heritage 2015 ,image , viewed 10 April 2016,
<http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pestsweeds/Ca
neToads.htm>

15. References
Australian Government – Department of the
Environment, Water Heritage and the Arts 2010
,image, viewed 10 April 2016,
<http://lptop.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publica
tions/cane-toad/factsheet.html>
Mob of Feral Camels in Central Australia 2014, image,
Government of Western Australia – Parks and
Wildlife, viewed 10 April 2016,
<https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/pests-
diseases/202-camels-in-western-australia?showall=1>

16. References
Shine, R 2006, The Ecological Impact of Invasive Cane
Toads (Bufo Marinus) in Australia, Quarterly Review
of Biology.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
2015, Cane Toad – Bufo Marinus.
Department of Parks and Wildlife 2014, Cane Toad
Strategy for Western Australia 2014-2019.