Cane toad: Difference between revisions

When they emerge, toadlets typically are about {{convert|10|–|11|mm|in|abbr=on}} in length, and grow rapidly. While the rate of growth varies by region, time of year, and gendersex, an average initial growth rate of {{convert|0.647|mm|in|abbr=on}} per day is seen, followed by an average rate of {{convert|0.373|mm|in|abbr=on}} per day. Growth typically slows once the toads reach sexual maturity.<ref name="ZugZug1979pp14-15">{{Harvnb|Zug|Zug|1979|pages=14–15}}</ref> This rapid growth is important for their survival; in the period between metamorphosis and subadulthood, the young toads lose the toxicity that protected them as eggs and tadpoles, but have yet to fully develop the parotoid glands that produce [[bufotoxin]].<ref name="ZugZug1979p15">{{Harvnb|Zug|Zug|1979|page=15}}</ref> Only an estimated 0.5% of cane toads reach adulthood, in part because they lack this key defense<ref name="Tyler1989p117" /><ref name="Anstis2002p274">{{Harvnb|Anstis|2002|page=274}}</ref>—but also due to tadpole cannibalism. Although cannibalism does occur in the native population in South America, the [[rapid evolution]] occurring in the unnaturally large population in Australia has produced tadpoles 30x more likely to be ''interested'' in cannibalising their siblings, and 2.6x more likely to actually ''do so''. They have also evolved to shorten their tadpole phase in response to the presence of older tadpoles. These changes are likely genetic, although no genetic basis has been determined.<ref name="Kozlov-2021">{{cite journal | last=Kozlov | first=Max | title=Australia's cane toads evolved as cannibals with frightening speed | journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] | publisher=[[Nature Portfolio]] | volume=597 | issue=7874 | date=2021-08-25 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/d41586-021-02317-9 | pages=19–20| pmid=34433984 | bibcode=2021Natur.597...19K | s2cid=237305658 }}</ref>

Most frogs identify prey by movement, and vision appears to be the primary method by which the cane toad detects prey; however, it can also locate food using its sense of smell.<ref name="Lever2001p10">{{Harvnb|Lever|2001|page=10}}</ref> They eat a wide range of material; in addition to the normal prey of small [[rodent]]s, other small [[mammal]]s,<ref name="UWI">{{cite web|url=https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Rhinella_marina%20-%20Cane%20Toad%20or%20Crapaud.pdf |title=''Rhinella marina'' (Cane Toad or Crapaud) |website=Sta.uwi.edu|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref> [[reptile]]s, other [[amphibian]]s, [[bird]]s, and even [[bat]]s and a range of [[invertebrate]]s (such as [[ant]]s, [[beetle]]s, [[earwig]]s, [[dragonflies]], [[grasshopper]]s, [[true bug]]s, [[crustacean]]s, and [[gastropod]]s),<ref name="Rhinella marina Cane Toad">{{Cite web|url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rhinella_marina/|title = ''Rhinella marina'' (Cane Toad)|website=Animaldiversity.org}}</ref> they also eat plants, dog food, cat food,<ref name="Rhinella marina Cane Toad"/> feces,<ref name="UWI">{{cite web|url=https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Rhinella_marina%20-%20Cane%20Toad%20or%20Crapaud.pdf|title=Rhinella marina (Cane Toad or Crapaud)|website=Sta.uwi.edu|access-date=17 March 2022}}</ref> and household refuse.<ref name="Tyler1989pp130-132">{{Harvnb|Tyler|1989|pages=130–132}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Mikula | first1 = P | year = 2015 | title = Fish and amphibians as bat predators | journal = European Journal of Ecology | volume = 1 | issue = 1| pages = 71–80 | doi = 10.1515/eje-2015-0010 | doi-broken-date = 31 January 2024 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

[[File:Kookaburra with Cane Toad - AndrewMercer - DSC00046.jpg|thumb|[[Laughing kookaburra]] (''Dacelo novaeguineae'') preying on a juvenile cane toad]]

Many species prey on the cane toad and its tadpoles in its native habitat, including the [[broad-snouted caiman]] (''Caiman latirostris''), the [[banded cat-eyed snake]] (''[[Leptodeira annulata]]''), eels (family [[Anguillidae]]), various species of [[killifish]],<ref name="Tyler1989pp138-139" /> the rock flagtailand (''[[KuhliaParaponera clavata]] rupestris'' (bullet ants),.<ref>{{Cite somejournal species|last=Morrison |first=Colin R. |date=November 2018 |title=Predation of [[catfish]]top (orderpredators: Siluriformes),cane sometoad speciesconsumption of [[ibis]]bullet (subfamilyants Threskiornithinae),<refin namea Panamanian lowland wet forest |url="Tyler1989pp138https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-139">{{Harvnbof-tropical-ecology/article/abs/predation-of-top-predators-cane-toad-consumption-of-bullet-ants-in-a-panamanian-lowland-wet-forest/31E056A8BE4E3DAECE661E8E2A7E0ED6 |Tylerjournal=Journal of Tropical Ecology |1989language=en |pagevolume=138–13934 |issue=6 |pages=390–394 |doi=10.1017/S0266467418000342 |issn=0266-4674}}</ref> and ''[[Paraponera clavata]]'' (bullet ants).

Predators outside the cane toad's native range include the rock flagtail (''[[Kuhlia rupestris]]''), some species of [[catfish]] (order Siluriformes), some species of [[ibis]] (subfamily Threskiornithinae),<ref name="Tyler1989pp138-139">{{Harvnb|Tyler|1989|page=138–139}}</ref> the [[whistling kite]] (''Haliastur sphenurus''), the [[rakali]] (''Hydromys chrysogaster''), the [[black rat]] (''Rattus rattus'') and the [[Asian water monitor|water monitor]] (''Varanus salvator''). The [[tawny frogmouth]] (''Podargus strigoides'') and the [[Papuan frogmouth]] (''Podargus papuensis'')<ref name="Angus1994pp10-11">{{Harvnb|Angus|1994|pages=10–11}}</ref> have been reported as feeding on cane toads; some Australian crows (''[[Corvus]]'' spp.) have also learned strategies allowing them to feed on cane toads, such as using their beak to flip toads onto their backs.<ref>{{cite web|first=Katrina|last=Bolton |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/15/2033759.htm |title=Toads fall victim to crows in NT – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |publisher=Abc.net.au |date=2007-09-15 |access-date=2011-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ozanimals.com/Frog/Cane-Toad/Bufo/marinus.html |title=Cane Toad (''Bufo marinus'') |publisher=Ozanimals.com |access-date=2011-11-12}}</ref> [[Kookaburra]]s also prey on the amphibians.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-10-31 |title=The native animals that turn cane toads into tucker |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-11-01/cane-toad-native-animals-eating/11649498 |access-date=2023-10-06}}</ref>

* {{cite journal | last = Shine | first = Rick | title = Controlling Cane Toads Ecologically | journal = Australasian Science | volume = 30 | issue = 6 | date = July 2009 | pages = 20–23 | url = http://classicbackissues.australasianscience.com.au/bi2009/306toad.pdf | access-date = 2019-11-05 | archive-date = 2020-03-21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200321035900/http://classicbackissues.australasianscience.com.au/bi2009/306toad.pdf | url-status = dead }}

[[Category:Amphibians ofdescribed Southin America1758]]

[[Category:FaunaAmphibians of BarbadosGuyana]]

[[Category:Amphibians of QueenslandJapan]]

[[Category:Amphibians of JapanQueensland]]

[[Category:AmphibiansFrogs of MauritiusBrazil]]