Unwanted Guests Cane Toads in the Australian Ecosystem
... Cane Toad populations in Australia have grown to gigantic proportions and are soon to add the Kakadu National Park to its list of native victims. Introduced in 1935 to help control cane beetle larvae, the toads bred quickly in the tropical Queensland environment. There were only 102 toads brought to Australia but after only a few months they reached thousands. At the time of their release, some biologists warned of the dangers of releasing the toads into the unnatural environment. Their protests resulted in a brief delay of the toads release, but eventually their efforts failed. ... gov) Once in the wild, in a famous example of biological stubbornness, the Cane Toads refused to eat the cane beetle larvae; instead consuming almost everything else in their path. Most introduced species, like the toads were, will usually die if left unattended in the wild. The cane toads are a hearty bred though and adapted quickly. Adult Cane Toads can survive up to a 50% loss of their body water and can survive in temperatures from 5 to 40 degrees Celsius. ... gov) Cane Toads are extremely effective breeders and that can be directly attributed to their success as a species. ... org) Female toads are also able to lay two clutches a year and factored in with ideal breeding conditions in Queensland, little competition for food and no natural predators in Australia, the Cane Toad population grew out of control.