Invasive Species: The Cane Toad

Invasive Species: The Cane Toad

Origins

The Cane toad, or also known as the Marine toad (Bufo marinus) is not indigenous to the Florida region. It is also toxic and is especially dangerous to small animals. (Florida Wildlife Extension at UF/IFAS) the Cane toad is an invasive species that was introduced into the region and the country as a form of biological control against insect pests and threats to crops, including sugarcane (100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species).

The Cane toad originality is to be found in the Amazon Basin in South America north to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. (Florida Exotics species, Species results) the population of this toad that occurs in the Florida region has its origins in an accidental release of about one hundred toads by an importer at the Miami International Airport in 1955. The spread of these creatures was further facilitated when a canal was constructed in 1958, linking the Blue Lagoon with South Florida's extensive canal system. (Florida Exotics species, Species results)

Impact

The Cane toad has a specific and in some cases extensive impact on the environment in various ways. Bufo marinus has been called, "...one of the 100 worst invasive species worldwide by the Invasive Species Specialist Group" (ADW: Bufo marinus: Information)

One of the most serious aspects of the impact of these toads is on the environment and the ecosystem. Cane toads are extremely voracious and eats almost any other organic life form. This has resulted in a decline of natural predators in the regions, as the indigenous animals of the area have no natural protection against the imported toxin that the toad carries. "As an introduced species, B. marinus can negatively impact native species and predator assemblages through competition, predation, and toxicity of its eggs or metamorphosed individuals" (Bufo marinus - Linnaeus, 1758). This has therefore resulted in an imbalance in the fauna and natural ecosystems of the area.

Costs and the impact on native species.

The costs of this invasive species in the region are hard to calculate in a definitive sense. The most obvious cost is to the environment and to the imbalance in the natural ecosystems of the area. This has resulted in additional costs because of the necessity of restoring this balance. It is estimated that the cost that the Cane toad has inflicted on property and natural resources in the United States, particularly in the Florida region, amounts to $137 billion annually. (Invasive species in Florida) the annual cost of invasive plants, animals and diseases in losses to Florida's agriculture is approximately at $179 million. (Invasive species in Florida)

The toad has also incurred costs in terms of the danger to human and animal health. The toxic secretions for the toad are especially dangerous to domestic animals such as dogs and cats. (100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species). There have also been reports on the way that these invasive creatures has actually affected many local species of animals; for example it has been found that Cane toads are one of the reasons for the decline of populations of monitor lizards in Guam.(Discover Life - Bufonidae: Bufo marinus...)