Cane Toad Horrors
Bat catches Cane Toad (credit: perunature.com)
Cane toads are voracious, carnivorous amphibians. Originally native to Latin America, the toads were deliberately released in the 1930's to control sugarcane grubs in Queensland. The toads went on the rampage instead. Ignoring the grubs, they began devouring anything in their path. With a toxic glands in their skin, animals that tried eating them, from storks to crocodiles, became poisoned victims themselves.
The 'Frankentoads' multiplied by the millions and provide a cautionary tale of catastrophes that invasive species can produce. A lucky photographer in Peru caught a cane toad trying to eat a bat that flew by its opened mouth. Luckily for the bat, it didn't appeal to the toad who spit it out.
For anyone interested in how invasive species can wreck havoc when released, without natural predators, the classic Aussie documentary, Cane Toads: The Conquest is worth watching. They have become the 'poster child' for all invasive species in Australia. Here's the official trailer:
Invasive species and feral vermin should be eliminated as soon as they are identified. The environmental and economic costs are much lower before they multiply.
WHB