Learned about Cane Toads today. They were brought to Australia from Hawaii in 1935 to fight beetles. They ended up being unable to catch the beetles, but also eating tons of food.. and being deadly poisonous. These things can grow to almost 2 pounds, and release enough poison to kill off crocodiles.
Freaky stuff!
But 2009 may be the year the battle turns. Here are two solutions proposed:
- Australian meat ants eat toads - and might have a easier time attacking cane toads than normal ones.
- A lungworm parasite unique to cane toads, and “alarm pheremones” kill off baby cane toad tadpoles
