Byron Shire Council

Cane Toads

Toadbusters - We Need You

If you have a keen interest in protecting our environment and dont get queasy at the prospect of picking up a cane toad, then we need you.  Byron Shire Council is currently calling for volunteers to assist in a series of cane toad musters to be held through the current summer breeding period.

Cane Toad Muster 2006

Byron Shire Council in conjunction with Brunswick Valley Landcare held a cane toad muster at the West Byron Sewerage Treatment Plant in Byron Bay on March 17, 2006.

People were asked to collect toads and bring them to the central collection point for euthanasia.

There were also demonstrations of cane toad traps and spotlight walks to find native frog conducted by Council Ecologist’s around the wetlands.

About 60 people came from across the Shire to deliver thousands of live toads in buckets, crates and boxes.

The final toad tally for the night came to 5,890 adult and juvenile toads of a combined weight of 77kg.

Prizes, donated by local businesses, were on offer for the most toads collected by one person and for the heaviest toad.

The heavyweight title went to toad nicknamed ‘Gertrude’, weighing in at 325g.

Prize for the most toads went to Alan Rayward and his granddaughter Stacey Devine for bringing in over 3,000 toads including juveniles.

Cane Toad Control Project - Getting a grip on cane toads in Byron and the NSW Far North Coast

Following on the success of the 2006 Cane Toad Muster, Byron Shire Council will soon be implementing a Cane Toad Control Project at priority sites in the Shire. Funding for this project has been obtained from the Environmental Trust.

Aims:

• Protect important ecosystems and habitats by significantly reducing or eliminating cane toad populations at target sites.

• Raise community awareness of the threat cane toads pose to biodiversity.

• Develop neighbourhood volunteer “toad buster” network that could run toad musters in their local areas and monitor changes in toad numbers.

Actions:

• design and construction of a “toad-busting trailer”
• development of education resources
• establishment of volunteer “toad buster” networks
• construct traps for loan to Byron Shire residents
• conduct toad muster nights in Byron Shire and later extend to surrounding areas
• establishment of a demonstration site restricting toad access to breeding sites e.g. farm dams. 

Project Partners and Supporters

Brunswick Valley Landcare, Wilsons Creek Huonbrook Landcare Inc., Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group, Richmond Landcare Services, EnviTE NSW, Department of Environment and Conservation, Lismore City Council, Tweed Shire Council, Ballina Shire Council

Cane Toad Facts

• Cane Toad Fact Sheet 143KB

Introduction and distribution

• Cane toads (Bufo marinus, Bufonidae) naturally occur in the southern USA and the tropics of South America

• Cane toads were deliberately introduced into Australia to control pest beetles of sugar cane
• About 3000 were first released in near Cairns, North Queensland in July 1935
• They are currently distributed in northern and eastern Qld, around Kakadu in NT, and along the coast of NSW as far south as Yamba and around Port Macquarie

Why are cane toads a pest?

• There are no specific predators of cane toads in Australia

• The ability of cane toads to rapidly increase in number and expand into new areas and eat a large volume and variety of prey means they could displace many native species.
• Toads prey on native animals especially insects and other invertebrates
• Toads outcompete native fauna such as small skinks and frogs for food
• Cane toads are poisonous at all stages of its life cycle
• Toads poison pets, humans, and native animals
• Toads may carry diseases transmissible to native snakes, frogs and fishes

Identification

• Colour varies between grey, yellowish, olive-brown or reddish brown
• Dry warty rough skin above and pale belly with dark mottling
• Pointed snout and bony ridges over the eyes that meet above the nose
• Webbing between toes of hind feet, unwebbed front feet
• Average size of adults is 9- 15 cm
• Toads sit upright and move with short hops
• Toads have parotoid glands (large swellings) on shoulder behind eardrum

Control

• Prevent access to breeding points by constructing 50 cm high barriers around garden ponds and dams
• Collect and dispose of toads humanely but be 100% sure before you kill a cane toad that it is not one of our native frog species
• People may mistakenly identify some species of native frogs as cane toads.
• Take the test on NPWS web site to check your id skills. www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Cane+toad+or+native+frog+Take+a+test+to+find+out
• If a suspected toad is under 4 cm in length please take to a frog expert for a positive identification.
• If in doubt contact your national parks or council office.

Handling toads and frogs

• If handling cane toads, take care not to come in contact with the poison. Venom exudes from the parotoid glands above the shoulders and toads have been reported to spray venom a short distance. Always use rubber gloves.
• Always take care when handling frogs.
• Native frogs are susceptible to a fungal disease which is spread by contact and causes deformity and eventual death.
• Chemicals on your skin such as insecticides can rapidly kill frogs by absorption through their skin. 
• Some native frogs also produce toxins

Ecology

Habitat

• Most common around urban areas, grasslands and woodlands
• Can invade most habitats e.g. sandunes, heath, edges of mangroves and rainforests
• Adults are active at night during warmer months. During daytime and cold/dry conditions they shelter in crevices under rocks log and debris
• Tolerances - temp range 5-40 ° C, desiccation of up to 50% water loss, salinity up to 15%

Food

• Adults
• anything including pet food scraps
• mostly beetles, honeybees, ants, termites, crickets
• also marine snails, smaller toads, native frogs, small snakes, occasionally small mammals
• Tadpoles
• algae and aquatic plants, detritus
• sometimes cane toad eggs

Predators

• Due to the toxicity almost any animal that eats a cane toad can die from heart failure
• tadpoles are eaten by dragonfly nymphs, water beetles, saw shelled turtles and keelback snakes
• Young or adult toads may be eaten by a number of native animals and birds including wolf spiders, freshwater crayfish, and rats. Some eat only the tongue or the internal organs from the belly

Breeding

• Toads will breed in still to slow-flowing water
• Between Sept and March when water temp is 25-30 °C
• Females can produce 8000-35000 eggs per clutch two times a year
• Eggs hatch in 1-3 days
• Tadpoles develop into toadlets in 3-20 wks depending on food and temperature
• About 1 in 200 individuals will survive to reach sexual maturity
• Cane toad reach sexual maturity within 6 months to 2 years and live for about 5 years on average.

Links

• Cane toads, giant toads or marine toads
• The biological effects, including lethal toxic ingestion, caused by Cane Toads (Bufo marinus)
• NPWS Cane toad info page
• Frogs Australia Network
• Northern Territory Frogwatch