Effect on Australian Ecology. Cane Toads have poisonous parotoid glands (left); Freshwater crocodiles have suffered massive declines from poisoning by toxic Cane Toads (middle); Cane Toads eat anything that can fit in their mouths such as smaller toads and frogs (right). The Cane Toad has detrimental effects to the ecosystem in Australia causing only long term impacts that can only be prevented by diminishing the population of this species in our home lands. Cane toad, Giant toad, Marine toad, Giant marine toad, South American cane toad, Dominican toad, spring chicken (Belize) Photo: ... Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Toads are causing ripples throughout the ecosystem that are potentially far-reaching and not well understood, he says. Identification. CANE TOADS. Overstaying Their Welcome: Cane Toads in Australia. 2. YouTube - The Cane or "Bufo" Toad - An Invasive Impact on Florida Pets. Cane Toad (Bufo marinus) Cane toads were released in North Queensland in 1935 to help control beetles that were damaging sugar cane crops. If pushed to come up with a reason why cane toads are a problem in Oz (other than “THEY ARE SOOOO UGLY!”), most people talk about ecological impacts on the native fauna. Historically, the cane toads were used to eradicate pests from sugarcane, giving rise to their common name. Tina Butler, mongabay.com. Cane toads (Bufo marinus) were first introduced to Australia in 1935 to eat sugar cane beetles. Like most of Australia’s feral animals, cane toads were introduced to Australia. Some of the long term effects include: - There has been reduced numbers of native animals in the wild and national parks. But they quickly became pests, and later migrated rapidly poisoning native species. Indirect effects of cane toads as mediated through trophic webs are likely as important as direct effects, but they are more difficult to study. That is, toads are widely believed to kill many native animals, and so cause a major ecological catastrophe in the areas they invade. They have a bony head and over their eyes are bony ridges that meet above the nose. Their effects on Australia's ecology 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. Ecological - Cane Toads prey on native frogs, lizards, snakes, small mammals, and just about anything else that fits into their mouths. Overall, some Australian native species (mostly large predators) have declined due to cane toads; others, especially species formerly consumed by … April 17, 2005. The invasion of cane toads through Australia kills many large predators, that are poisoned when they try to eat large, highly toxic toads. Originally from South and Central America, they were brought to Australia in 1935 by Queensland’s sugar cane industry as an attempt to control pest beetles, before agricultural chemicals became widespread.