It was in Florida's Palm Beach Gardens that the first of the few cane toads appeared, and soon it had turned into a virtual exodus of baby toads. Photographs show that at first a small body of these amphibian creatures thronged a swimming pool, scrambled up the walls, before filling the whole hallway of a house, so countless and vast that people residing in the area called for help. Soon these invasive toads found a comfortable home in pleasant Southern Florida.
A Protective Specie Turns into Pests
Actually, cane toads were intentionally brought to Central and South America in the early 1930s to control certain types of beetles that were destroying sugarcane crops and hence the term "cane toads." Some of these escaped from their areas and went on to establish the present population.
Cause of the Problem
The exact problem began in a calm lake located in the immediate neighborhood of Palm Beach Gardens. Here these multiplied undisturbed because of a lack of predators to trouble the toad eggs, tadpoles and so on, and most of them turned into toads, hopping suddenly in great numbers into pools and yards in the area.
The Danger Posed by Cane Toads
Cane toads pose a threat because the mature ones spray poison from their back whenever they are attacked. Although the small just-metamorphosed ones do not carry sufficient lethal venom, the fully grown ones can cause a seizure in a dog or kill it. The cane toad toxin is extremely gooey and could remain inside a dog's mouth, according to Steve Johnson, the wildlife ecologist working at the Florida University. If this happens, dog owners must wipe out the affected dog's mouth and rush it to a vet immediately.
Prevention
The only way to control the cane toad menace is to physically remove them and subject them to euthanasia. There are many professional toad catchers who don't have to kill all of the cane toads. Fortunately, there is a ready market for them in the form of research labs, and to be used on dissection tables in biology classes. These are also sent to Europe as pets. About 70 percent are used in this manner. The rest are subjected to human euthanasia according to the guidelines laid down by the American Vet Medical Association. This is done by spraying the cane toads with benzocaine and transferring them to a freezer. In fact, it is not legal to release them anywhere outdoors to invade the premises all over again.
