Why are cane toads such a threat to the Australian ecosystem?

Answer 1

Cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935 in an effort to reduce the number of bugs that were ruining sugar cane. It didn't work out as well as they wanted it too and they later introduced insecticides to deal with the insects instead.

It quickly became apparent that bringing over the toad was not the wisest idea because the big fat ugly amphibian doesn't have many natural predators in Australia - and it has horrible poisonous skin so if anything does eat it it will get sick and die. Only a few species can get away with eating a cane toad. Therefore is has had a negative impact on native animal populations.

Cane toads breed like rabbits... they are a hardy creature that lays eggs whenever and wherever it feels right so their numbers multiply quickly and therefore the extra space they take up has a negative affect on smaller, more vulnerable Australian species that try to coexist with the toads.

Another example of a direct effect on the ecosystem - goanna numbers decline where there are a lot of cane toads... this leads in an increase in the number of saltwater crocodile eggs that hatch... see? Perhaps not the best thing.

Cane Toads! Boo!

Answer 2

Mainly because they are not native and therefore have no known predatory threats to their populations. Since that is the case and since they feed on the crops grown in the region they pose an agricultural dilema. You can't target the toads with poisons with out killing other beneficial animals that feed off the same crop. Plus you risk destroying the crops themselves.