The cane toad, also known as the giant toad or marine toad, is an invasive and fatally poisonous species that causes harm to the new environment to which it does not belong (not native). It has the following scientific classification (National Invasive Species Information Center, n.d.):
- Scientific name: Rhinella marina
- Domain: Eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animal (Animalia)
The cane toad originated from Central America (Rio Grande Valley, Texas) and South America (the Amazon and Peru), which explains tropical environments as the favorite areas. The invaded regions vary in terms of the environment and the major purposes. For example, Florida was researched as the coldest area for introduction in 1936 (Mittan & Zamudio, 2019). Australian scientists believed this invasion would effectively control harmful agricultural pests like cane beetles that seriously damaged sugar cane farms in 1935 (Roth, 2022). In a short period, cane toads invaded northern Australia and continued reaching Western regions of the continent.
On the one hand, access to prey and the absence of serious predators that cannot resist their poison allow cane toads to expand their living areas and become a dangerous invasive pest. On the other hand, this species uses strong and rapid adaptive features and genetics for protection due to its plasticity and evolution (Mittan & Zamudio, 2019). Even in dry regions, cane toads could find human-made dams and survive. It is expected to benefit from toads’ invasion of new communities and the ecosystem in general. The extinction of native predator species is observed together with the decline of native birds and frogs. The cane toad’s toxin is dangerous for delicate ecosystems and biodiversity, and it is not always possible for scientists to manage their behavioral havoc.
References
Mittan, C. S., & Zamudio, K. R. (2019). Rapid adaptation to cold in the invasive cane toad Rhinella marina.Conversation Physiology, 7(1). Web.
National Invasive Species Information Center. (n.d.). Cane toad. USDA. Web.
Roth, A. (2022). Cannibalistic toads reveal ‘evolution in fast motion,’ study finds.The New York Times. Web.