Australia Cane toad

distribution of cane toad in australia (map out of date – current range includes northern wa, northern nsw , sa)

following apparent success of cane toad in eating beetles threatening sugarcane plantations of puerto rico, , fruitful introductions hawaii , philippines, strong push made cane toad released in australia negate pests ravaging queensland cane fields. result, 102 toads collected hawaii , brought australia. after initial release in august 1935, commonwealth department of health decided ban future introductions until study conducted feeding habits of toad. study completed in 1936 , ban lifted, when large-scale releases undertaken; march 1937, 62,000 toadlets had been released wild. toads became firmly established in queensland, increasing exponentially in number , extending range northern territory , new south wales. in 2010, 1 found on far western coast in broome, western australia.

however, toad unsuccessful in reducing targeted grey-backed cane beetles (dermolepida albohirtum), in part because cane fields provided insufficient shelter predators during day, in part because beetles live @ tops of sugar cane – , cane toads not climbers. since original introduction, cane toad has had particularly marked effect on australian biodiversity. population of number of native predatory reptiles has declined, such varanid lizards varanus mertensi, v. mitchelli, , v. panoptes, land snakes pseudechis australis , acanthophis antarcticus, , crocodile species crocodylus johnstoni; in contrast, population of agamid lizard amphibolurus gilberti—known prey item of v. panoptes—has increased.