Cane toads

The Cane Toad (Bufo Marinus)

aka :Bombinator, Aga-Krole, Crapaud, Kwapp , Macao , Maco Pempen, Maco Toro:

• Is recognised by the World Conservation Union as a pest posing one of the greatest social, economic and environmental threats world wide
• Is recognised by the Federal Government as a key threatening process to the nation under the national Environment Biodiversity and Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)
• Is destroying our northern Australian wetland ecosystems and their constituent indigenous flora and fauna
• As an adult can travel kilometres a day
• Can naturally grow to 3 kg weight and 25 cms long, but this will increase as cane toads ingest the hormones in the animal production food chain, such as from chicken food
• May infest suitable habitats with up to 2,000 adults per hectare
• Needs water to survive but can tolerate up to 50% water loss from its body for short periods of time
• Has no natural Australian predator
• Cannot be controlled by any known biological control
• Is fatally poisonous to ALL wildlife that ingest it, in all stages of its life cycle, including venomous snakes and crocodiles
• Eats ANY wildlife it can fit in its mouth
• Sits at the entrance to bee hives and eats the bees as they return to the hive
• Is omnivorous and competes for food against ALL wildlife
• Denudes vegetation, within its reach, of all edible nutrients
• Carries salmonella because it eats human and animal faeces
• Wipes out insect populations such as the dung beetle, which otherwise clean up faecal contamination, especially important around bush camp sites
• Pollutes previously pristine water bodies to brackish water filled with cane toad larva strings and dead animals it has poisoned
• Is attracted to light at night
• Is not frightened or intimidated by human presence
• Congregates on the ground at night especially in open spaces
• Oozes or squirts poison from glands behind its ears
• Is poisonous to humans although there have been no recorded deaths in Australia
• Has cardiovascular and inflammatory impacts on humans and animals including pets, after contact by the poison with the recipient mucous membranes
• Direct contact or hand to eye contact with poison can cause temporary blindness
• Cannot climb as does not have suckers on its feet
• Can be fenced in or out by wire mesh fences 50cms height, with wood planks buried below the fence to prevent burrowing
• Can be trapped
• Can be controlled
• Can be stopped