Australian Cane Toad
The cane toad, Bufo marinus, or giant toad, was introduced to Australia by the sugar cane industry with government sanction, in order to control two specific pests of sugar cane. The grey backed cane beetle and the frenchie beetle. Native to Central and South America, the cane toad has been introduced to several Pacific islands as well. One hundred and one toads arrived at Edmonton in North Queensland in June 1935. About 11 sugar growing locations in northern and central coastal Queensland received authorized shipments. People at Normanton and Burketown, and in northern New South Wales deliberately released the cane toad into the wild. Scientists warned the farmers not to bring the cane toad to Australia but the farmers did not listen and brought them in anyway. Did the cane toad have any impact on the two cane beetles it was introduced to control? Apparently not. The cane toad ate beetles when they were available, but as a control agent, it had no impact at all. Instead of controlling certain insect populations, the cane toad ate large numbers of bees and other beneficial insects. Within 5 years, an effective insecticide became available and the sugar industry lost interest in the cane toad. Although n
There are firmly held beliefs that these characteristics of the cane toad are responsible for the deaths of Australian wildlife including herpetofauna, mammals, and fish. The team also found a small percentage of Australian cane toads in the wild had been exposed to a virus similar to the Venezuelan viruses, which are known to cause disease and death in fish and amphibian populations in Australia and overseas. Therefore, the mouth, eyes, and nose should always be rinsed thoroughly if contact with venom occurs. They have few predators native to Australia. The major concerns about the toad involve its prodigious appetite, and the toxicity of all its life stages to native animals. It is highly likely that the cane toad will one day be farmed in Queensland for production of therapeutic medicines. Under pressure cane toads can shoot their venom a short distance. It is also possible that some native animals are learning to avoid eating them. At AAHL, a specialized group has been formed bringing together expertise in virology, aquatic animal pathology, electron microscopy, and molecular biology. In fact, they eat any animal they can swallow. Such studies have been conducted in Australia, Venezuela, and Brazil. Giant toads can tolerate temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius to 41 degrees Celsius and are able to survive high levels of dehydration. Giant toads are often transported in shipments of fruit and other commodities. The objective of the current project is to find exotic, infectious microbial agents which may spread throughout cane toad populations in Australia and decrease their numbers. Their temperature and moisture tolerances may limit their distribution.
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Acceptance Essays
