Kimberley Toadbusters Newsletter 53

Kimberley Toad Buster's

Table of anecdotal and scientific evidence of affected wildlife

The aim of this website is to document the Kimberley Toad Busters fight to stop the cane toad crossing into
Western Australia and to provide the Western Australian Community some understanding of the enormous efforts (and contributions) that
can be made by unpaid volunteers!

KTB has seen in the last 9 years of being in the field toad busting

The following list of toad impacted species is based on mostly anecdotal evidence of KTB volunteers in the field. KTB field data is based on toad busting activities since 2005. It is clear from the observations recorded that the impact of toads on some species is influenced by the type of habitat system the cane toads have invaded. Uncontrolled numbers of toads recorded by KTB in the early years of toad busting in the NT indicated that the biggest effects on wildlife were observed where toad numbers around waterholes were initially much higher. KTB have observed a marked decrease in species loss in areas where adult toad numbers and subsequent breeding have been reduced.

10-10-2013

Species

Effect

Evidence

Pictures

Snakes

King Brown	Numbers going down	Dissected, toad parts in stomach and anecdotal evidence	Yes
Childrens python	Numbers appear to be going up going up	Small reptile research done by KTB and anecdotal evidence	No
Black headed python	Numbers appear to be going up	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and many farmers who have observed the change (NT)	No
Whip snake	Numbers appear to be going up	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and many farmers who have observed the change (NT)	No
Western Brown	Numbers appear to be going up	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and many farmers	Yes
Keelback snake	Numbers going up	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and many farmers. KTB recorded a major increase in numbers on Auvergne Lagoon after toads arrived.	Yes

Reptiles, amphibians

Frilled necked Lizard	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB, local people and farmers in NT and WA	No
Gilbert's dragon	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and local people ("What's in your Backyard?" project). Preliminary results of trapping by KTB.	No
Freshwater crocodile	Numbers going down Dissected,	toad parts in stomach and anecdotal evidence	Yes
Blind snake	Numbers possibly going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Dissected remains in toad stomach contents.	Yes
Mertens water monitor	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB	Yes
Yellow spotted	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB	Yes
Tree monitor	Numbers going up	Anecdotal evidence by KTB (Keep River)	Yes
Freshwater Turtle	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and Aboriginal communities. In small Billabongs/dams in the Wickham River in the NT hundreds of dead turtles where recorded after the big wave of cane toads invaded the area and started breeding.	Yes
Giant burrowing frog	Number going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and Aboriginal communities. Indirect impact. Burrowing frogs caught in toad traps and exposed to the toad poison. Burrowing frogs appear to be paralyzed with red streaks running over the body. Death too several hours. Food competition	Yes
Saltwater crocodile	Numbers going up	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and Crocodile farmers. Indirect impact. Increase in egg numbers in the wild after major predators of the eggs have been knocked out by cane toads. Coolabahs’ Station crocodile farm reports being able to take only a couple of days to get their quota of eggs from the wild rather than weeks.	No

Birds

Black tipped Kite	Numbers appear to be going up	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and many farmers. Learns very quickly to tip toad over. KTB recorded instances of large numbers of kites dying through toad ingestion on Coolabahs’ Station when toads first arrived.	No
Kookaburra	Numbers may be going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and farmers (NT). Isolated instances in areas when large numbers of toads hit a new area. Some evidence that they learn to flip the toad over.	No
Crows	Numbers going up	Anecdotal evidence. Observations by KTB and farmers of dead crows in some areas when toads first arrived in large numbers (NT).	No
Whistling Ducks	Numbers may be going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Only recorded in waterholes cut off or drying up during the dry and inhabited by large numbers of toads. Probably accidental intake of toad tadpoles.	No
Rainbow Bee Eater	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and many farmers. Indirect impact. Toads occupying nesting burrows and metamorphs eating native Bee.	Yes
Magpie Geece	Numbers do not appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and many farmers. Probably accidental intake of toad tadpoles.	Yes
Pelican	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence of parent pelicans around Lake Argyle feeding their young cane toad tadpoles, which causes the young to die. Some Pelicans observed to die after feeding along the waters edges.	No
Jabiru	Numbers appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence of dead Jabirus around waterholes when toads first arrive and start breeding. Mainly towards the end of the dry season when waterholes have begun drying up.	No
Brolga	Numbers appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence of dead Brolga around waterholes when toads first arrive and start breeding. Mainly towards the end of the dry season when waterholes have begun drying up	Yes
Straw necked Ibis	Numbers appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence of dead Straw necked Ibis around waterholes when toads first arrive and start breeding. Mainly towards the end of the dry season when waterholes have begun drying up	Yes

Insects

Lavender (Stink) Beetle	Numbers possibly going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Dissected from cane toad stomach contents. Toads also appear to die if ingesting large numbers of the beetle.	Yes
Lady Bird Beetle	Numbers possibly going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Toads witnessed eating the beetle and found in stomach contents.	Yes
Dung beetle	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and many farmers. Dung in major toad infected areas dry and compact on the surface with no evidence of dung beetle activity.	Yes
Native Bee	Numbers appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and Indigenous people. Major source of food for cane toad metamorph. Less honey bag activity.	No
Bombardier beetle	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Found in large numbers in stomach contents of toads. Evidence that the toad is also impacted when eating large amounts similar to the impact of Lavender beetles. General insect activity Numbers going down Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Insect activity in cane toad infected areas compared to areas not yet invaded by cane toads. Personal observation by Lee Scott-Virtue and Dean Goodgame while on field work (archaeological) 4 weeks camped at Bradshaw Station (badly toad impacted) and 4 weeks camped at Yampi Sound (no toads).	No
Centipede	More research needed but number appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Stomach contents of toads and observation of toads eating centipedes.	Yes
Scorpian	More research needed but number appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Stomach contents of toads and observation of toads eating Scorpians.	No

Others

Freshwater crab.	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB, lots of dead crabs after toads arrived and laid eggs. Freshwater crabs found in stomach contents of toads. KTB Research in place	Yes
Barramundi	Numbers do not appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Only recorded in waterholes cut off or drying up during the dry and inhabited by large numbers of toads.	Yes
Bait fish (stripies)	Numbers appear to be going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and Indigenous communities. Evidence of large numbers dead after the arrival and breeding of toads in small creek systems.	No
Land snails	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Cave systems (NT and WA) invaded by cane toads show reduction in numbers of snails.	No
Northern spotted quoll	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB.	Yes
Greater Bilby	Numbers going down/up?	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Indirect impact. Food competition with cane toads, and cane toad using Bilby burrows to hide. Other side toads can kill cats, the main predator of the Bilby.	Yes
Domestic chickens	Numbers going down in some areas	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and Kununurra vet. Reports of deaths and very sick chickens after eating metamorphs.	No
Feral Cats	Numbers do not seem to be effected	Anecdotal evidence by KTB. Evidence of very sick and one dead feral cat after eating toads.	No
Dingos	Numbers going down	Anecdotal evidence by KTB and pastoralists. Dead dingo’s recorded around waterholes after toads have arrived. Autopsies to date have not revealed toads in stomach contents.	No