The Cane toad is also called the giant neotropical toad or marine toad. This species is a large frog four to six inches in size. The Cane toad in native to south and mainland central america but has become invasive to Australia. The Cane toad got to Australia in a way you most likely wouldn’t expect. The Cane toad is one of the only examples of a exotic animal being released gone wrong. Scientists released the Cane toad to try and control the beetle population. The beetle was a pest to farmers and they believed the Cane toad could solve their problem but instead the Cane toad became the pest. 

These large toads may not sound dangerous but they are extremely poisonous to most animals. They have poison glands on each shoulder that secret poison when they are stressed or feel threatened. 

When Cane toads first made their way to Australia there were only 102 Cane toads in total but as time has gone on there is now a huge 200 million Cane toads living in Australia. The Cane toad on average lays 8,000- 25,000 eggs which they will lay two times a year usually. That’s a lot of eggs at one time. Cane toads live up to five years on average and reach sexual maturity by 6-18 months. 

Since Cane toads are poisonous, not many animals want to enjoy them as a snack. But it does have some natural predators such as camins, snakes, birds, and on some occasions fish. The Cane toad does have some natural predators but the amount of toads being born to the amount dying is so uneven it’s predicted to be bad if nothing is done about it. Cane toads are omnivores meaning they eat plants and animals. They eat a variety of vegetation, insects, small birds, other frogs, and snakes. Since the Cane toad has such a high population there prey are in jeopardy of dying out. Not only are they putting animals in danger, plants can be wiped out as well. Vegetation is important for human life and the Cane toads are eating all the plants. But that’s not it the Cane toads eating animals which other animals need to eat. Which is causing a decreasing population for many animal species; the whole food chain is put in risk of failing. When the Canes toads eat they are reducing prey for native animals. The only way to control the Cane toads massive population is to get rid of them. The only way to do that is for humans to take action before to much stress is put on the ecosystems Cane toads are invasive of.