Down here in Florida, we have a real problem with invasive species. The native landscape is incredibly diverse, with low-lying coastal plains giving way to swamps that climb into woody forests. Because of the exceptional ecosystem and many, many ports on our sunny peninsula, it’s almost every few years, something new is rising. And today, we’ll cover Cane toads. Specifically, we’ll touch on their biology and habits and some humane methods of Cane toad removal.
Cane Toad Removal: Overview
The cane toad, also known as the bufo, giant, or marine toad, is a very large amphibian. They’re non-native and have been introduced into Florida. Cane toads are considered an invasive species and are poisonous to most animals that try to bite or consume them. Cane toads are not protected in Florida except by anti-cruelty law and can be removed from private property and humanely killed year-round with landowner permission. Captured cane toads may not be relocated and released.
These toads are reddish-brown to gray in appearance and are light yellow or beige underneath. They can be uniform in color or have darker markings around the body.
They have enlarged glands behind the eyes, which angle downward onto the shoulders. The glands secrete a potent milky-white toxin (bufotoxin) as a defense against predators, including domestic pets.
Cane toads generally range in size from 6 to 9 inches in length. They can be confused with the native southern toad. However, adult cane toads are much larger than adult southern toads, which only grow to a maximum of approximately 3 to 4 inches. But make sure not to mistake them for the native southern toad. Native southern toads, unlike cane toads, have oval shaped glands instead of pointed, triangle ones. Not only that, but another way to differentiate the two is the crests between the native southern toad’s eyes. Cane toads, on the other hand, are flat between their eyes.
In Florida, cane toads are found in urban, suburban, and agricultural areas. Cane toads are commonly found in yards, around buildings, or near canals and ponds. Cane toads breed year-round in standing water, streams, canals, and ditches.
Why are cane toads so prolific?
Now you may be asking; this is pretty odd. Most of Florida’s invasive species have something that makes their survival obvious. Giant snakes in the everglades, for example. Easy to see why their population exploded. But how is cane toad removal made so difficult? Well, there are a few different reasons. One is their fertility! A single female toad can produce around 30,000 eggs in a single clutch – so the few toads that you miss can rapidly replace all the ones you removed.
Removing these toads is actually a coin flip as to whether you’re going to affect the population. Toads are each other’s worst enemies (they eat each other, compete with each other, and so on), so the more toads you remove, the better things are for the ones you leave behind.
So even if you removed all the toads from your yard, by the next night, you’re likely to have a new bunch of toads there to replace the ones you got rid of yesterday. This isn’t such a problem in the dry season or in older populations of toads or in cooler parts of the country, but they’re a year round issue for Florida.
Cane Toad Removal: How they impact Florida
The skin-gland secretions of cane toads (called bufotoxin) are highly toxic and can sicken or even kill animals that bite or feed on them, including native animals and domestic pets. Stories of dogs croaking after eating one of these are very common. The skin secretions may irritate the skin or burn the eyes of people who handle them. Cane toad eggs also contain bufotoxin and can harm or kill native animals that consume them. Cane toads also potentially compete with native frogs and toads for food and breeding areas.
To safely remove cane toads, wear eye and skin protection, and wear latex, rubber, or nitrile gloves if handling. Captured cane toads may not be relocated and released. Homeowners that need assistance removing cane toads from their property can hire a wildlife trapper. It is also very important to make sure that you have properly identified the animal as a cane toad and not a native southern toad, which is a beneficial part of the Florida ecosystem.
Cane Toad Removal: Keeping Your Home Bufo Free
Let’s touch on a few tips to make your yard less attractive to these huge, invasive toads. For one, don’t ever keep pet food outside. I mean, that should be a no brainer right? Keeping pet food outside is pretty much the number one way to attract any kind of infestation to your home, and cane toads are no different.
Remove or collect any standing water containers and bring them indoors. Standing water is another huge pest attracter. Toads need access to water at least once every two days to rehydrate their skin. Not only that, but standing water is the preferred breeding medium of both mosquitoes and biting flies as well.
Keep your outside lights off when you’re not outdoors. Keeping those lights on all night will attract moths and other light loving insects. When they’re swarming around your lights, they make excellent and easy prey for these toads. So keeping those lights off may prevent these guys from feasting while clinging to your front doors.
Kane toads are poor jumpers like most other toads, so creating a barrier would work as well. A smooth surface at least fifty centimeters high would keep them from jumping or climbing over.
And if you do end up humanely killing a cane toad, be careful with disposing of their bodies. Even when they’re dead, their poison can be fatal to wild animals and pets. So if you’re going to compost them, for example, make sure to put them into a covered pile. If you throw them away, it’s worth double bagging them to keep your dog or some poor raccoon from picking up the poisonous corpse.
