# General Topics > General Discussion & News > Press / News Items > Amphibian News Feeds >  Cane toads kill Caribbean animals

## Frog News

*BBC News (London, UK) June 9th, 2010 02:43 AM: Cane toads kill Caribbean animals*

Cane toads, one of the world's most destructive invasive species, have started killing native wildlife outside of Australia.
*Full Article*

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## Deku

> *BBC News (London, UK) June 9th, 2010 02:43 AM: Cane toads kill Caribbean animals*
> 
> Cane toads, one of the world's most destructive invasive species, have started killing native wildlife outside of Australia.
> *Full Article*


Uhh not in the carribbean. I used to live in puertorico for 13 years. I never wittnessed an animal be killed by a cane toad. Even dogs just didnt approach them. Little kids never approach them. Our mothers gave us a folk tale so we wouldnt "play" with them and possibly get poisoned. Ever hear "toads and frogs give you warts"? That would be what our parents used to tell us, and pretty much everyone elses parents. The only creatures that may eat the cane toads would be a black snake I saw over there once. I think it wa ssome sort of ratsnake. But  yeah, I can assure you in places like puertorico the cane toads arent actually killing anything. Not even dogs, after a while t hey learn NOT to bother them. Because we ourselves took our time to teach em.

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## Kurt

Did you read the article?

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## Deku

> Did you read the article?


*cough* uhh... errr.. uhh no? xD I didnt wanna hear stuff about killing cane toads. D; beautiful toads should not be mutilated. Or I thought it was. xD

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## Kurt

The article said that a boa in Jamaica is dying off trying to feed on cane toads.

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## Deku

> The article said that a boa in Jamaica is dying off trying to feed on cane toads.


Oops sorry. I kinda re-read the "aussie cane toad" article at some site. Got pretty upset what people are resulting to do. Killing em for fun. Sick b@$T@Rds Dx

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## Iratus ranunculus

> Oops sorry. I kinda re-read the "aussie cane toad" article at some site. Got pretty upset what people are resulting to do. Killing em for fun. Sick b@$T@Rds Dx



It is necessary.  They are Everywhere.  Think this through.  They breed in large numbers and even their tadpoles are toxic.  Just about every fish, insect, snake, small lizard, bird etc that eats animal prey LOVES tadpoles.  Do the math.

The government does not have the resources do eradicate them humanely.  The only thing that can be done is to encourage people to go out with golf clubs etc

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## Ebony

I hear you Deku.  :Frog Smile: 

I dont think doing it with gulf clubs is OK at all. Whats that teaching Children. These frogs are still animals that unfortunately are causing havoc but there's got to be a better way.  :Frown:

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## Paul Rust

> I hear you Deku. 
> 
> I dont think doing it with gulf clubs is OK at all. Whats that teaching Children. These frogs are still animals that unfortunately are causing havoc but there's got to be a better way.


* I agree Ebony.*
*Animal control is one thing, cruelty is something different entirely.*

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## Ebony

:Frown:   Here people go to jail for being cruel to animals.

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## Iratus ranunculus

> I hear you Deku. 
> 
> I dont think doing it with gulf clubs is OK at all. Whats that teaching Children. These frogs are still animals that unfortunately are causing havoc but there's got to be a better way.


In a world that is actually good and decent... yes.  There would be. The problem is the only other way to do it is to poison the water sources they breed in.  For the obvious reasons, that wont work too well.  

You need to detach yourself a little.  Invasive species control is nasty business. To deal with goats in places like the Galapagos they actually put a radio collar on a "Judas Goat" and then follow it in a helicopter until it finds a bunch of other goats (they are social) and then they shoot them all from the air.  You cant really do that with toads.  

Controlling populations of native species can be cruel too.  Believe me, unless the shot is perfect, deer that get shot are in a lot of pain for at least a few minutes.  

Crushing can be remarkably quick.  I would be right there with you if they were crucifying the toads, but a golf club... All things considered it is guesome, but a lot quicker and more targeted than many alternatives.

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## Terry

I am not sure that whacking a toad with a golf club is the best method to control the population of invasive species, but it is effective. The natural range of the cane toad stretches from Mexico south to northwestern South America. The toad was introduced to various Caribbean islands in the early 20th century to wipe out the cane beetle. Like everywhere else, the effort was unsuccessful. Many native frog and toad species are now threatened because of the cane toad. It is also important to know that Mexico, Central America, northwestern South America as well as the Caribbean has the highest number of threatened amphibians in the world. I have read that the cane toad is only a nuisance outside its natural range.

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## Iratus ranunculus

> I am not sure that whacking a toad with a golf club is the best method to control the population of invasive species, but it is effective. The natural range of the cane toad stretches from Mexico south to northwestern South America. The toad was introduced to various Caribbean islands in the early 20th century to wipe out the cane beetle. Like everywhere else, the effort was unsuccessful. Many native frog and toad species are now threatened because of the cane toad. It is also important to know that Mexico, Central America, northwestern South America as well as the Caribbean has the highest number of threatened amphibians in the world. I have read that the cane toad is only a nuisance outside its natural range.


You do what you can.  It may not be the nice way to do it, but humans are the only predators these things have outside their native range.

Yeah, inside its natural range there are predators that can control their populations. They just produce a particularly nasty variety of bufotoxin-and a lot of it, since they day they hatch from their eggs.  Toads are also very good dispersers and colonizers.  Something like that is an "ideal" invasive species.  

And technically the northern limit of their range is Corpus Christi Texas or thereabouts.  

 :Wink:

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## Paul Rust

> I am not sure that whacking a toad with a golf club is the best method to control the population of invasive species, but it is effective. .


 *Yes I suppose that is true. I just couldn't do it and wish it wasn't necessary.*

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## Terry

> *Yes I suppose that is true. I just couldn't do it and wish it wasn't necessary.*


Don't call on me to do it either.

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## Kurt

> And technically the northern limit of their range is Corpus Christi Texas or thereabouts.


Hey, you're right. Had to hit the books to look it up, which wasn't easy considering my glasses are upstairs.  :Big Grin:

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