Cane toads in Australia
Encyclopedia
The cane toad is an invasive species
in Australia. The cane toad is the largest species in the family Bufonidae. Adult cane toads are usually heavy-built and weigh an average of up to 1.8kg. (4 lbs.). Their size may vary from 15-23 cm.(4-9 in.) and their skin is warty. The coloration on their back and sides may vary from olive-brown or reddish-brown, gray, and yellow while their bellies are semi-yellow or semi-white with darker mottling. Their body is round and flat, has prominent corneal crests, and light middorsal stripes. Their front feet are unwebbed, but their back feet have tough, leathery webbing. Cane Toads have short legs and a ridged bony head that extends forward from their eyes to their nose. Behind their ears lay the parotid glands, which usually causes their head to appear swollen. These glands are used for defense against predators. The parotid gland produces milky toxic secretion or poison that is dangerous to many species. This venom primarily affects the functioning of the heart. Envenomation is painful, but is usually not fatal for humans. However, it does have some effects, such as burning of the eyes and hands, and skin irritation.
in Australia
is regarded as an exemplary case of a "feral species"—others being rabbit
s, fox
es, cat
s, and Giant Mimosa. Australia's relative isolation prior to Europe
an colonisation
and the industrial revolution
—both of which dramatically increased traffic and importation of novel species—allowed development of a complex, interdepending system of ecology, but one which provided no natural predators for many of the species subsequently introduced. The recent, sudden inundation of foreign species has led to severe breakdowns in Australian ecology
, after overwhelming proliferation of a number of introduced species
for which the continent has no efficient natural predator or parasite, and which displace native species—in some cases these species are physically destructive to habitat as well. Cane Toads have been very successful as an invasive species, having become established in more than 15 countries within the past 150 years. The Australian Government placed cane toads in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as a "key threatening process"
Native to Central and South America, Cane toads were introduced to Australia from Hawaii in June 1935 by the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations in an attempt to control the native cane beetle
(Dermolepida albohirtum). These beetles are native to Australia and they are detrimental to sugar cane crops, which are a major source of income for Australia. Adult cane beetles eat the crop's leaves, but the main problem is the larvae, who feed on the roots. Adult cane beetles have a heavy exoskeleton and their eggs and larva are often burried underground, making them difficult to exterminate. Furthermore, conventional methods of pest control, such as pesticide use, would eradicate harmless species of insects as well, making it an inadequate method.
The cane toads bred immediately in captivity, and by August 1935 more than 102 young toads were released in areas around Cairns
, Gordonvale
and Innisfail
in northern Queensland. More toads were released around Ingham
, Ayr
, Mackay
and Bundaberg
. Releases were temporarily limited because of environmental concerns but resumed in other areas after September 1936. Since their release, toads have rapidly multiplied in population and now number over 200 million and have been known to spread diseases affecting local biodiversity. Unfortunately, the introduction of the toads has not only caused large environmental detriment, but there is also no evidence that they have had an impact on the cane beetles they were introduced to predate. The toads have steadily expanded their range through Queensland, reaching the border with New South Wales
in 1978 and the Northern Territory
in 1984. The toads on the western frontier of their advance have evolved larger legs; this is thought to be related to their ability to travel farther. As a consequence of their longer legs, larger bodies, and faster movement, about 10% of the leading edge cane toads have also developed arthritis
. It is estimated that cane toads migrate at an average of 40 kilometres (25 mi) per year currently.
The long-term effects of toads on the Australian environment are difficult to determine, however some effects include "the depletion of native species that die eating cane toads; the poisoning of pets and humans; depletion of native fauna preyed on by cane toads; and reduced prey populations for native insectivores, such as skinks."
Precipitous declines in populations of the Northern Quoll
(Dasyurus hallucatus) have been observed after toads have invaded an area. There are a number of reports of declines in goanna
and snake populations after the arrival of toads. For example, local populations of Varanus panoptes dropped by up to 90% when their habitat was invaded by cane toads. The preliminary risk assessment of cane toads in Kakadu National Park
stated that the predation of the cane toad by native wildlife is the greatest risk to biodiversity. Other factors, such as competition with native wildlife for resources, and the predation of the cane toad on native wildlife, were considered much lower risk factors but requiring further study. In the Northern Territory, goanna predation on cane toads has been linked to a rise in the amount of undamaged salt water crocodile
eggs.
Cane toads were present within a few days of the crocodiles hatching in April 2007.
Numerous native species have been reported as successfully preying on toads. Some birds, such as the Black Kite
(Milvus migrans), have learned to attack the toad's belly, avoiding the poison-producing glands on the back of the head. Anecdotal reports in the Northern Territory suggest that a native frog, Dahl's Aquatic Frog
(Litoria dahlii), is able to eat the tadpoles and live young of the toad without being affected by the poison that often kills other predators. This may account for slower than expected infestations of toads in certain areas of the Northern Territory, although later research carried out jointly by several Australian Universities casts doubt on these reports. Some snakes have been reported to have adapted smaller jaws so that they are unable to swallow large cane toads which have large quantities of poison.
Another study, however, notes that the cane toad is adapting to a wider environmental range and may in the future be spreading into habitats currently not available.
In 2009 it was found that the native meat ant
is immune to the toad's poison and can successfully prey upon young cane toads. Whereas native frogs and toads have natural reflexes to avoid the meat ants, the cane toads do not tend to try to escape the ants, rather standing still when attacked waiting for the toxin to kill the attacker.
(Saw-shelled Turtle) which ranges along rivers and streams from Cape York Peninsula
to northern New South Wales
, is one of the few native animals which is a successful predator of Cane Toads. The larger the animal, or predator, is the better chance they have of survival, as their body weight effectively dilutes the concentration of the toxin in their body.
Most of these predator populations learn not to eat cane toads after an initial drop in population after toad invasion. However, the initial drop in population is often steep and can reduce biodiversity on a population level. One proposed solution is to use "teacher toads", or smaller toads which are less likely to kill predators. These toads would allow predators to learn not to eat the toads while mitigating mortality. Some have even proposed adding some chemical to make the toads distasteful to further discourage predation. These efforts have shown some promising results so far.
Many new ideas have been proposed to control the cane toad population. Some have suggested introducing a native viral or bacterial pest of the toads, but this has potential to once again invade native species. Two similar strategies have been proposed, both of which focus on fecundicity. One involves the release of sterile males into the population. These males would compete for resources with other males, while themselves not being able to reproduce. A second strategy would be to insert a gene in female toads which would allow them to only create male offspring. In theory, this would limit the reproductive rates and control the population. It is difficult to determine the efficacy and dangers of these approaches, as these methods have never been attempted, especially on a large scale.
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The introduction and subsequent migration of the cane toad in Australia was popularised by the film Cane Toads: An Unnatural History
(1988), which tells the tale with a humorous edge and is often shown in Environmental Science
courses. Don Spencer
, a popular children's entertainer, sang the song "Warts 'n' All", which was used in the documentary. A longer sequel, Cane Toads: The Conquest, by the same filmmaker, was made in 2010.
Attempts have been made to make use of dead cane toads, which can number in the thousands and cause hygiene problems. This includes processing the carcasses into liquid fertilisers. Their skin can be made into leather, and novelty cane-toad purses made of the fore-body and abdomen are sometimes seen (e.g. see accompanying photo).
Cane toads have also been known to be a significant source of food for humans in their native environment; cane toads are cooked by skinning them and removing the internal organs (including the poisonous glands), then roasting them. It has been said they are like chicken
except with a drier taste.
In Australian states where the cane toad is common, some 'sports' have developed, such as cane toad golf and cane toad cricket, where cane toads are used as balls. In April 2005, Dave Tollner
, a Northern Territory Member of Parliament
, called for legalisation of attacks on cane toads. This was criticised by many animal and conservation groups who claim freezing is a more humane way to kill cane toads than hitting them with cricket bats. The short film Cane Toad - What happened to Baz? displays an Australian attitude towards the cane toad. This film won the "Best Comedy" award at the 2003 St Kilda Film Festival.
This was controversial in relation to an ad put out by the Tooheys beer company which showed people from New South Wales standing at the New South Wales-Queensland Border with golf clubs and lights, attracting Cane Toads just so they could hit them back across the border with the golf clubs.
The cane toad has been listed by the National Trust of Queensland as a state icon of Queensland, alongside the Great Barrier Reef
, and past icons, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the backyard mango
tree (also an introduced species).
"Cane toad" is also a colloquial term for an inhabitant of Queensland
, particularly the state's State of Origin
rugby league
team members and supporters.
The invasive nature of cane toads was referenced in The Simpsons
episode "Bart vs. Australia
".
In the video game Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue
, cane toads appear as enemies. They wear spiked collars, have poisonous tongues (in contrast to real world cane toads), are about the size of medium-sized dogs, and will chase Ty down upon seeing him.
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
in Australia. The cane toad is the largest species in the family Bufonidae. Adult cane toads are usually heavy-built and weigh an average of up to 1.8kg. (4 lbs.). Their size may vary from 15-23 cm.(4-9 in.) and their skin is warty. The coloration on their back and sides may vary from olive-brown or reddish-brown, gray, and yellow while their bellies are semi-yellow or semi-white with darker mottling. Their body is round and flat, has prominent corneal crests, and light middorsal stripes. Their front feet are unwebbed, but their back feet have tough, leathery webbing. Cane Toads have short legs and a ridged bony head that extends forward from their eyes to their nose. Behind their ears lay the parotid glands, which usually causes their head to appear swollen. These glands are used for defense against predators. The parotid gland produces milky toxic secretion or poison that is dangerous to many species. This venom primarily affects the functioning of the heart. Envenomation is painful, but is usually not fatal for humans. However, it does have some effects, such as burning of the eyes and hands, and skin irritation.
Invasive species
The cane toadCane Toad
The Cane Toad , also known as the Giant Neotropical Toad or Marine Toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
is regarded as an exemplary case of a "feral species"—others being rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, and Giant Mimosa. Australia's relative isolation prior to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an colonisation
Colonisation
Colonization occurs whenever any one or more species populate an area. The term, which is derived from the Latin colere, "to inhabit, cultivate, frequent, practice, tend, guard, respect", originally related to humans. However, 19th century biogeographers dominated the term to describe the...
and the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
—both of which dramatically increased traffic and importation of novel species—allowed development of a complex, interdepending system of ecology, but one which provided no natural predators for many of the species subsequently introduced. The recent, sudden inundation of foreign species has led to severe breakdowns in Australian ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, after overwhelming proliferation of a number of introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
for which the continent has no efficient natural predator or parasite, and which displace native species—in some cases these species are physically destructive to habitat as well. Cane Toads have been very successful as an invasive species, having become established in more than 15 countries within the past 150 years. The Australian Government placed cane toads in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as a "key threatening process"
Introduction and spread
Cane beetle
The cane beetle, Dermolepida albohirtum, is a native Australian beetle and a pest of the sugar cane. Adult beetles eat the leaves of sugar cane but greater damage is the done by their larvae hatching underground and eating the roots, which either kills or stunts the growth of the plant.Larvae,...
(Dermolepida albohirtum). These beetles are native to Australia and they are detrimental to sugar cane crops, which are a major source of income for Australia. Adult cane beetles eat the crop's leaves, but the main problem is the larvae, who feed on the roots. Adult cane beetles have a heavy exoskeleton and their eggs and larva are often burried underground, making them difficult to exterminate. Furthermore, conventional methods of pest control, such as pesticide use, would eradicate harmless species of insects as well, making it an inadequate method.
The cane toads bred immediately in captivity, and by August 1935 more than 102 young toads were released in areas around Cairns
Cairns, Queensland
Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns, then-current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was...
, Gordonvale
Gordonvale, Queensland
Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns on the Mulgrave River. At the 2006 census, Gordonvale had a population of 4,420....
and Innisfail
Innisfail, Queensland
Innisfail is a town located in the far north of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the major township of the Cassowary Coast and is well renowned for its sugar and banana industries, as well as for being one of Australia's wettest towns...
in northern Queensland. More toads were released around Ingham
Ingham, Queensland
Ingham is a town in the Great Green Way region of North Queensland, Australia. The town was founded in 1864, gazetted a shire in 1879, and is the service centre for many sugarcane plantations, pioneered in the 1870s by William Ingham, for whom the town is named...
, Ayr
Ayr, Queensland
Ayr is a town in Queensland, Australia near the delta of the Burdekin River, named after the Scottish town of Ayr by the settlers from the United Kingdom...
, Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
and Bundaberg
Bundaberg, Queensland
Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Local Government Area of the Bundaberg Region and is a major centre within Queensland's broader Wide Bay-Burnett geographical region...
. Releases were temporarily limited because of environmental concerns but resumed in other areas after September 1936. Since their release, toads have rapidly multiplied in population and now number over 200 million and have been known to spread diseases affecting local biodiversity. Unfortunately, the introduction of the toads has not only caused large environmental detriment, but there is also no evidence that they have had an impact on the cane beetles they were introduced to predate. The toads have steadily expanded their range through Queensland, reaching the border with New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1978 and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
in 1984. The toads on the western frontier of their advance have evolved larger legs; this is thought to be related to their ability to travel farther. As a consequence of their longer legs, larger bodies, and faster movement, about 10% of the leading edge cane toads have also developed arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
. It is estimated that cane toads migrate at an average of 40 kilometres (25 mi) per year currently.
Ecological effects
Precipitous declines in populations of the Northern Quoll
Northern Quoll
The Northern Quoll , also known as the Northern Native Cat, the Satanellus, the North Australian Native Cat or the Njanmak , is a carnivorous marsupial mammal, native to Australia.- Taxonomy :The Northern Quoll is a member of the family Dasyuridae, and is often stated to be the most distinctive...
(Dasyurus hallucatus) have been observed after toads have invaded an area. There are a number of reports of declines in goanna
Goanna
Goanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Asia.There are around 30 species of goanna, 25 of which are found in Australia...
and snake populations after the arrival of toads. For example, local populations of Varanus panoptes dropped by up to 90% when their habitat was invaded by cane toads. The preliminary risk assessment of cane toads in Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km southeast of Darwin.Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It covers an area of , extending nearly 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres...
stated that the predation of the cane toad by native wildlife is the greatest risk to biodiversity. Other factors, such as competition with native wildlife for resources, and the predation of the cane toad on native wildlife, were considered much lower risk factors but requiring further study. In the Northern Territory, goanna predation on cane toads has been linked to a rise in the amount of undamaged salt water crocodile
eggs.
Cane toads were present within a few days of the crocodiles hatching in April 2007.
Numerous native species have been reported as successfully preying on toads. Some birds, such as the Black Kite
Black Kite
The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their...
(Milvus migrans), have learned to attack the toad's belly, avoiding the poison-producing glands on the back of the head. Anecdotal reports in the Northern Territory suggest that a native frog, Dahl's Aquatic Frog
Dahl's Aquatic Frog
The Dahl's Aquatic Frog is a species of frog in the Hylidae family. It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, freshwater lakes, intermittent...
(Litoria dahlii), is able to eat the tadpoles and live young of the toad without being affected by the poison that often kills other predators. This may account for slower than expected infestations of toads in certain areas of the Northern Territory, although later research carried out jointly by several Australian Universities casts doubt on these reports. Some snakes have been reported to have adapted smaller jaws so that they are unable to swallow large cane toads which have large quantities of poison.
Another study, however, notes that the cane toad is adapting to a wider environmental range and may in the future be spreading into habitats currently not available.
In 2009 it was found that the native meat ant
Meat ant
Meat ants , also known as meat-eater ants or gravel ants, are a species of ant belonging to the Iridomyrmex genus. They can be found throughout Australia.-Nests:...
is immune to the toad's poison and can successfully prey upon young cane toads. Whereas native frogs and toads have natural reflexes to avoid the meat ants, the cane toads do not tend to try to escape the ants, rather standing still when attacked waiting for the toxin to kill the attacker.
Predator Effects
Predators in Australia are not adapted to their toxin, which is the toad's main defense mechanism. Because of this, toads don't tend to hide and are usually targeted by predators, who then expose themselves to the toxic effects. One study suggests Australian reptiles are greatly threatened by invasion of the Cane Toad, more so than any other group Seventy-five species of crocodiles and freshwater turtles were found to be at risk of invasion, and all species studied were found capable of eating a toad large enough to kill them All freshwater turtles and crocodiles are predicted to share part of their future distribution with the invasive species by the year 2030. Australia’s varanids and agamids are also at a great risk It is reported that one native freshwater turtle species, Myuchelys latisternumMyuchelys latisternum
The Saw-shelled turtle or Myuchelys latisternum, is a species of turtle in the Chelidae family.It is endemic to Australia, ranging along rivers and streams and connected swamps and lagoons from coastal Cape York Peninsula to northern New South Wales. They are thought to have been introduced to Lake...
(Saw-shelled Turtle) which ranges along rivers and streams from Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
to northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, is one of the few native animals which is a successful predator of Cane Toads. The larger the animal, or predator, is the better chance they have of survival, as their body weight effectively dilutes the concentration of the toxin in their body.
Most of these predator populations learn not to eat cane toads after an initial drop in population after toad invasion. However, the initial drop in population is often steep and can reduce biodiversity on a population level. One proposed solution is to use "teacher toads", or smaller toads which are less likely to kill predators. These toads would allow predators to learn not to eat the toads while mitigating mortality. Some have even proposed adding some chemical to make the toads distasteful to further discourage predation. These efforts have shown some promising results so far.
Methods to Control Invasion
Currently, most attempts to curtail the invasion of cane toads has been unsuccessful. Many of these strategies involve the physical trapping of toads. Since the largest selective pressure on cane toads currently is intraspecies competition, these physical removals often only improve the conditions for untrapped toads. Also, since migration is high, any area purged of toads would most likely be reinvaded quickly. Also, trapping methods will also capture unintended native species.Many new ideas have been proposed to control the cane toad population. Some have suggested introducing a native viral or bacterial pest of the toads, but this has potential to once again invade native species. Two similar strategies have been proposed, both of which focus on fecundicity. One involves the release of sterile males into the population. These males would compete for resources with other males, while themselves not being able to reproduce. A second strategy would be to insert a gene in female toads which would allow them to only create male offspring. In theory, this would limit the reproductive rates and control the population. It is difficult to determine the efficacy and dangers of these approaches, as these methods have never been attempted, especially on a large scale.
In popular culture
Cane Toads: An Unnatural History
Cane Toads: An Unnatural History is a 47-minute documentary film about the introduction of Cane Toads to Australia. Cane Toads were introduced to Australia with the aim of controlling a sugar cane pest, but they over-multiplied and became a serious problem in the Australian ecosystem...
(1988), which tells the tale with a humorous edge and is often shown in Environmental Science
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
courses. Don Spencer
Don Spencer
Donald Richard Spencer OAM is an Australian children's television presenter and musician, best known for his long-running role as a presenter on Play School in both Australia and the United Kingdom. He had his first song the theme tune to Fireball XL5 in 1962, reaching #32 on the UK Singles...
, a popular children's entertainer, sang the song "Warts 'n' All", which was used in the documentary. A longer sequel, Cane Toads: The Conquest, by the same filmmaker, was made in 2010.
Attempts have been made to make use of dead cane toads, which can number in the thousands and cause hygiene problems. This includes processing the carcasses into liquid fertilisers. Their skin can be made into leather, and novelty cane-toad purses made of the fore-body and abdomen are sometimes seen (e.g. see accompanying photo).
Cane toads have also been known to be a significant source of food for humans in their native environment; cane toads are cooked by skinning them and removing the internal organs (including the poisonous glands), then roasting them. It has been said they are like chicken
Tastes like chicken
"Tastes like chicken" is a common declaration used when trying to describe the flavor of a food a listener has never tasted. The expression has been used so often that it has become somewhat of a cliché...
except with a drier taste.
In Australian states where the cane toad is common, some 'sports' have developed, such as cane toad golf and cane toad cricket, where cane toads are used as balls. In April 2005, Dave Tollner
Dave Tollner
David William Tollner is an Australian politician, currently representing the Fong Lim in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for the Country Liberal Party since the 2008 election...
, a Northern Territory Member of Parliament
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
, called for legalisation of attacks on cane toads. This was criticised by many animal and conservation groups who claim freezing is a more humane way to kill cane toads than hitting them with cricket bats. The short film Cane Toad - What happened to Baz? displays an Australian attitude towards the cane toad. This film won the "Best Comedy" award at the 2003 St Kilda Film Festival.
This was controversial in relation to an ad put out by the Tooheys beer company which showed people from New South Wales standing at the New South Wales-Queensland Border with golf clubs and lights, attracting Cane Toads just so they could hit them back across the border with the golf clubs.
The cane toad has been listed by the National Trust of Queensland as a state icon of Queensland, alongside the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
, and past icons, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the backyard mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
tree (also an introduced species).
"Cane toad" is also a colloquial term for an inhabitant of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, particularly the state's State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team members and supporters.
The invasive nature of cane toads was referenced in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Bart vs. Australia
Bart vs. Australia
"Bart vs. Australia" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 19, 1995. In the episode, Bart is indicted for fraud in Australia, and the family travels to the country so Bart can apologize...
".
In the video game Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue is the second title in the Ty the Tasmanian Tiger series for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance produced by Krome Studios in 2004.-Gameplay:...
, cane toads appear as enemies. They wear spiked collars, have poisonous tongues (in contrast to real world cane toads), are about the size of medium-sized dogs, and will chase Ty down upon seeing him.