Monitoring Country
NESP Resilient Landscapes
Please note: This platform is currently in beta. Some content and features may be incomplete or missing. Please contact us if you notice any errors.

Cane Toads

Other common names:
  • Scientific name: Rhinella marina
Cane Toads

Cane Toads are an invasive species that have been spreading across Australia since they were released in the 1930s. Cane Toads are poisonous to the native species that eat them.

Cane Toads are a threat to native species

Cane Toads eat a variety of insects and snails, compete with native frogs for food and habitat, and produce a toxin that is poisonous to many of Australia’s animals including mammals, reptiles and birds.

Cane Toads are a serious threat in particular to native predators like quolls, goannas and freshwater crocodiles. Many native animals cannot tolerate the toxin found in the Cane Toads and therefore eating them usually leads to death.

The biological effects caused by Cane Toads has been identified as one of the key threatening processes to native species under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. There is a National Threat Abatement Plan on the biological effects by Cane Toads.

Managing Cane Toads

Total eradication of Cane Toads is not currently possible because of how widespread they are across Australia and how quickly they are continuing to move. Best practice management of Cane Toads requires collaborations between government, researchers and land managers. Control methods for Cane Toads include:

  • Toad musters - capture and humane killing of Cane Toads
  • Conditioned taste aversion – teaching native predators like quolls and crocodiles to avoid eating Cane Toads Where they live

 Cane Toads can easily be confused with some native frogs - make sure you have correctly identified it as a Cane Toad before humanely killing.

Where Cane Toads live

place Occurrence Records

Use the + - Zoom controls to select an area

Cane Toads occurrence records © Atlas of Living Australia

Where they live

 

Much of northern and central coastal Western Australia could be suitable for Cane Toads.

 

The Toad Containment Zone Project aims to prevent the south-westward spread of the Cane Toad invasion front into the Pilbara and beyond. 

 

Cane Toads were introduced to far-north Queensland in 1935 to control a native beetle pest. Since then, they have expanded their territory into most areas of Queensland, Northern Territory and the Kimberly in Western Australia, and into parts of New South Wales. They are continuing to expand their territory and are expected to eventually be found across most of the northern half of Australia.

It is important to report any sightings of Cane Toads that are more than 50 km ahead of the front line (where they are currently found).

If you suspect you have found a cane toad ahead of the front line, please send a photo of the toad to the [DBCA; Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions] Cane Toad hotline on 0400 693 807. In partnership with land managers the department can then respond quickly before new populations become established. 

Habitat

Cane Toads are found in a wide range of habitats but prefer open grasslands and wetter habitats because they need access to moisture to breed and survive.

What Cane Toads look like

Cane Toads are larger and stockier than native frogs. They have dry, warty skin a distinctive ‘M’ shaped ridge above the eyes.

What they sound like

Cane Toads make a long steady trill that sounds like a dial tone or outboard motor in the distance

Listen to their call below (source The Australian Museum)

Better understand:

REMEMBER! Any time you do work that might disturb or interfere with native animals and vegetation, particularly threatened species, you need to check with the state authorities to see if you need any approvals, such as scientific licences or animal ethics committee permits.

You can monitor Cane Toads to better understand:

  • Where they do and don’t live
  • How many live on Country
  • How well management of Country and the Cane Toads is working 

By using one or more the following methods, you can better understand Cane Toads on your Country. If you monitor the same place at the same time every year, you can see if there are changes to Cane Toads on Country. 

Spotlight & Listen Surveys 

A good way to check for Cane Toads on Country is with a Spotlight & Listen Survey. This involves looking for Cane Toads at night and listening for their calls.  

What can you learn? 

  • Presence/absence – if and where Cane Toads species live on Country 
  • Occupancy - If enough surveys are done at different places on Country, the presence/absence data can be used to estimate occupancy. This type of modelling helps to work how many places really have Cane Toads, even if they weren’t seen or hear at each site. This can be used as an indicator of how large the population might be and if is getting smaller/bigger over time.
  • Activity – how many Cane Toads are seen/heard during a survey. This can be used as an indicator of how large a population might be and if is getting smaller/bigger over time.  

Using it the Right-way 

Plan to do a targeted survey for Cane Toads:

  • In or nearby freshwater habitats  - Cane Toads will use almost all freshwater habitats including temporary waterbodies, although they will most likely be found near permanent waterbodies in dry periods or locations. 
  • When Cane Toads are most active and calling - after dark on warm, wet nights in warmer months. Male Cane Toads may respond to call playback during breeding season 

Make sure you can correctly identify Cane Toads – they can look like some species of native frogs, particularly if they are young Cane Roads. 

Consider before you start your survey if you are going to catch and euthanise any Cane Toads that you find. 

You can learn more about Spotlight & Listen Surveys on the “How we check on things” page and in the Environmental Monitoring Method Spotlight & Listen Surveys for Frogs.

eDNA Water Sampling

Environmental DNA (eDNA) water monitoring involves taking water samples from a waterbody and getting the sample analysed to see if Cane Toads are or have recently been in a waterbody.  

What can you learn? 

  • Presence/absence – if and where Cane Toads live on Country  

Using it the Right-way 

Collect samples when Cane Toads are more likely to have been in or using a water body. If there is lots of water around, they may be using other sites. 

You can learn more about the eDNA monitoring on the "How we check on things" page and in the Environmental Monitoring Method eDNA Water Sampling with EnviroDNA Kits.

error
Remember Ethics and Permits

Any time you do work that might disturb or interfere with native animals and vegetation, check with the state authorities to see if you need any approvals.

VIEW PERMIT INFO
eDNA Monitoring
eDNA Monitoring
CLICK TO LEARN MORE
SOP Files
Using it the right way

Less stress for animals: eDNA sampling doesn’t involve catching, handling or getting close to animals. Animals are often stressed if they are caught and often change their behaviour when people are around.

Find what you miss: eDNA can detect animals that have passed through the area that are …

Spotlight & Listen Surveys for Frogs
Spotlight & Listen Surveys for Frogs
CLICK TO LEARN MORE
SOP Files
Using it the right way

Less stress for animals: Spotlight and listen surveys don’t involve catching and handling frogs. Animals are often stressed if they are caught and handled by people. Handling frogs can also spread disease, such as Chytrid fungus which can kill frogs.

Inexpensive: Spotlight and listen surveys don’t need highly specialised …

Primary sources

This landing page was developed using the following sources:

Primary sources

This landing page was developed using the following sources:

Tools and resources

Tools and resources

    No additional tools or resources found.

arrow_back Back to Worry Index
Map Area Filter