Thread: Death to cane toads

The above link

Cane Toad Spray

Golf is always going to be more fun.

I saw it for sale in Bunnings the other day.

not to be defeatist, but its a bit of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.Unless a biological control can be found, I'm afraid we are stuck with them.Theres a lot of toads out there and individual spraying is going to be like erradicating the house fly with Mortein, not likely.As for the effect on native wildlife any possible extinctions from areas where toads already exist would have already happened, most species have learnt to avoid toads as if they dont, they die, call it fast evolution.Habitat degredation is more of a threat in the big picture, we may see species reduction in newly colonised areas as they learn to deal with toads, but given time these species numbers will pick up again.Dettol mixed 10:1 with water has the same effect and is a lot cheaper.

Originally Posted by crump

not to be defeatist, but its a bit of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.Unless a biological control can be found, I'm afraid we are stuck with them.Theres a lot of toads out there and individual spraying is going to be like erradicating the house fly with Mortein, not likely.As for the effect on native wildlife any possible extinctions from areas where toads already exist would have already happened, most species have learnt to avoid toads as if they dont, they die, call it fast evolution.Habitat degredation is more of a threat in the big picture, we may see species reduction in newly colonised areas as they learn to deal with toads, but given time these species numbers will pick up again.Dettol mixed 10:1 with water has the same effect and is a lot cheaper.

What crump said. The chemical is basically the same as the active ingredient in dettol. You are basically buying dettol in a spray can.

One point - there have been no extinctions caused by cane toads.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

What crump said. The chemical is basically the same as the active ingredient in dettol. You are basically buying dettol in a spray can.

One point - there have been no extinctions caused by cane toads.

Maybe.The reduction and possible extinction of rainforest frog species, particulalry, Rheobatrachus, Nyctimysties, and Taudactylus, has been attributed to the Kitrid Fungus.I'd be interested to know whether the toad could have played a role in carrying this amphibian disease to these isolated populations? Do toads carry Kitrid?Come on all you zoologists, speak up?

The total population size of Cane Toads in Australia is unknown but the common figure that is bandied around is 200 million. Their distribution is expanding and their numbers are increasing. If it is possible to eliminate them or even significantly reduce their numbers this will almost certainly be through a biological agent. For a good review of their ecological impact see http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiv...oad-impact.pdf. For an overview of how we might deal with them, you may like to have a look at the draft Threat Abatement Plan at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiv...-tap-draft.pdf.

Cheers
KarlB

Originally Posted by crump

[/B]
Maybe.The reduction and possible extinction of rainforest frog species, particulalry, Rheobatrachus, Nyctimysties, and Taudactylus, has been attributed to the Kitrid Fungus.I'd be interested to know whether the toad could have played a role in carrying this amphibian disease to these isolated populations? Do toads carry Kitrid?Come on all you zoologists, speak up?

Cane Toads are known to be infected by the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) but they are relatively tolerant to the infection. The issues is more that they are carriers of the 'disease'.

Cheers
KarlB

Originally Posted by isuzurover

One point - there have been no extinctions caused by cane toads.

But If I have been informed correctly, some areas of Australia have practically no Red-belly black snakes left, as these feed on other more dangerous snakes [the Red-belly Black snake is unlikely to Kill an Adult human so are preferable to the Brown snakes, Tiger snakes, Rough scale snakes, etc., plus Tiapans, if you live in Queensland, etc. I have had a Red-Belly bite me, and other than Antihistimine got no treatment, but the bite hurts.], Red-belly Blacks also eating frogs & toads, And in cane toad areas they have almost been wiped out by eating cane toads, meaning more deadly snakes that do not feed on toads multiply without this cannibalistic predator to eat them. Of course the Red-belly also lives in areas where there are not yet cane toads so the species is abundant in these areas, so is not in danger of extinction, but in Cane-toad areas it is in danger of extinction. So bring on the Dettol spray I say.