Cane+Toad+-+3

=Cane Toad (Bufo Marinus)= =__General Information__= The Cane Toad's back and side may vary from an olive-brown to a reddish-brown, gray and yellow while their bellies are either yellow or white with dark spotting. Cane Toads will often blend in with its surroundings to hide from its predators. Their bodies are round with short legs. Their front feet are unwebbed while their back feet have very tough webbing. (2)

The Cane Toad is the largest species in the its family. The Adult Cane Toads are usually heavy -built and weight up to 4 pounds. Their size may vary from 4-9 inches. The female is usually bigger and has softer skin than the males. Most baby Cane Toads are about an inch long. (2)



=__Detailed Description__=

__Life Cycle/ Reproduction Information__
Cane Toads breed between April and September. But beginning in late March they begin their matting calls. Every year each female Cane toad produces about 8,000 to 35,000 eggs. The eggs are externally fertilize by the male's sperm. These eggs can be found floating on the surface of water in a jelly-like string or wrapped around vegetation and other debris in the water. Depending on the age and size of the female will determine how many eggs the female toad will produce. Within 24 to 72 or 1 to 3 days the eggs will hatch and from tiny shiny black tadpoles. The rate of the tadpole's growth depends on the temperature of its habitat and food availability. It has been estimated that only half of the Cane Toads survive maturity. It takes a year to reach the maturity and they are about 75 mm. long. It is estimated that Cane Toads live about 10-40 years. (2)



__Diet__
Cane Toads will eat just about anything that they can swallow. Their diet is mainly made up of living insects. These include beetles, bees, ants, and crickets. (3) Cane Toads are also known to steal food from dogs and cats if their food dishes are left outside. (2)

__How Cane Toads are so Successful__
Cane Toads can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. They breed in almost any body of water and lay large numbers of eggs several times a season. Adult Cane Toads can live a very long time. Many of the diseases and parasites that keep Cane Toad populations under control in their native countries, are not in Australia. Cane Toads eat a very wide range of animals, anywhere from lizards to small insects. They have also adapted to feeding on non-living food such as pet food. Cane Toads have very few predators because they are toxic to most animals that try to eat them.(4)



=__Habitat and Distribution__=

__Habitat__
The Cane Toads are native to Central America and South America. (2)



__Distribution__
The Cane Toads have been introduced to many areas including Florida, Australia, Caribbean Islands, the Philippines, Hawaii, Western Pacific Islands and Papua New Guinea. Cane Toads were deliberately introduced to Australia from Hawaii. (4)



=__**Ecological Impacts**__=

__Positive__
There aren't many positive impacts that the cane toads have on the environment. The cane toad is a species that does more harm than good. One of the only positive impacts that these species have is that they control the number of insects in the environment. (5)

The environments in which the cane toads live in really tend to suffer. The cane toads eat large number of dung beetles which will potentially increase the number of flies in some areas. (5) Cane toads will poison many animals that try to eat them. Thus the population of many of these animals will be reduced. (5) Cane toads also compete with native species for food, having many of the native species die due to lack of resources.(5)


 * There are no hybridization with any native species, since the cane toads tend to compete with the native species for food. (5)

[|Map] This map shows the invasion of the Cane Toad in Australia. The Red on the map shows currently what the Cane Toad has taken over, and the orange on the map is what the Cane Frog is projected to take over.

=__Human Impacts__= Even though many people might not think it, cane toads have many impacts on humans. Some of these being that the biting of the toads can create a risk of death to some domestic animals. (5) Since the cane toad will lay their eggs in any open body of water, many people have to get their swimming pool toad-proof to protect them from the pollution that the cane toads leave behind. (5)

=__History__= The Cane Toad come from the southern United States to the tropical South America. (4) In 1935, sugarcane farmers in Australia couldn't ward off an insect that was eating their crops called the cane beetle. To help control the cane beetles the Australian government imported cane toads. About 3,000 cane toads were released in the sugarcane plantations. People thought the toads would eat the beetles and the sugarcane would be saved. But it turned out it was just the opposite. (3)

=__Control Measures__= The cane toads are a real problem in Australia, the government is working toward getting rid of the cane toads. (3) According to a Professor Rick Shine from University of Sydney he said that there is an Amazonian parasite that is in the cane toad and the parasite could be a key factor in slowing the rapid spread of the cane toads. (1) But not only are the parasite trying to slow down the spread of cane toads, but so is the National Cane Toad Task Force. The National Cane Toad Task Force helps to coordinate and promote research in controlling the numbers of cane toads. (5) Like anything there are costs that are involved in helping to control the cane toads. About $600,000 of State funds are going to the Department of Agriculture for the management of cane toads. (5)

=__Videos__= [|Cane toads strike!] [|The feeding of the Cane Toad]

=__References__=

1. "Cane toads meet their nemesis?." //Ecos.// 144 (August-Sept 2008): 5(1). //Student Resource Center - Gold//. Gale. Stroudsburg High School. 16 Nov. 2008 .

2. "Cane Toad." __Honolulu zoo__. 2008. Honolulu Zoo. 13 Nov. 2008. .

3. Hughes, Catherine D. "Cane Toads. "__Animals Creature Feature__. 1996. National Geographic Society. 16 Nov. 2008. .  4. "Frequently asked questions Cane Toads." __Herpetology__. 2002. Australian Museum. 16 Nov. 2008 .

5. Martin, Gary, and Marion Massam. "Cane Toads." __Department of Agriculture and Food__. 12 Aug. 2005. 20 Nov. 2008 .

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