Is there anything sweeter than a Friday before the long weekend? Well, I guess only the folks celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend will be able to answer that question. There is something nice about an old fashioned Thanksgiving with a warm house full of your favourite relatives and the aroma of turkey and stuffing arousing your taste buds. Meanwhile football is on in the living room with the guys huddled around cheering for whatever team they bet on. Like I said, there is something nice about an old fashioned Thanksgiving. I was going to do a Wild Fact that had a Thanksgiving theme but I really had the urge to write about an amphibian so I chose the Cane Toad instead.
The Cane Toad is a large, venomous toad which is also known as the Marine Toad or the Giant Neotropical Toad. They get the giant adjective since they can grow up to 15 cm (6″) long and weigh about 1.3 kg (2.9 lbs). As I mentioned the Cane Toad is capable of secreting venom from glands above their shoulders. This poison is a mix of toxins that will affect your heart and be quite painful. Normally they are not fatal to humans, however, some have died after ingesting the large Cane Toad or their eggs. Why you would eat a poisonous toad is beyond me. Just like their parents the tiny tadpoles are also deadly poisonous to any animal that is curious enough to try them.
The Cane Toad is natively found in Southern United States, Central America and in the tropical regions of South America. The population of Cane Toads are healthy and even manageable in their natural range, however, residents of Australia can be sure to tell you what happens when you introduce a new species into the ecosystem. The Cane Toad was introduced in Australia to help with controlling a beetle population. Needless to say the 3000 or so toads did very well in their new enviornment and now have a population in the millions. They are now considered a pest and the Australian Government is spending money trying to eradicate or control the populations. Just one more example why you don’t mess with Mother Nature.
Cane Toad Fast Fact – Although this particular toad is also referred to as the Marine Toad they have very little to do with the water. These toads are mainly terrestrial and only head to the freshwater to breed. So where did this name come from? I have no idea but I am willing to listen to some suggestions.
Another week of Wild Facts is in the book. Be sure to check back in on Monday for a new Fact. Enjoy the weekend, no matter how long it is.
