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The cane toad, Bufo marinus, was introduced to Australia by the sugar cane industry to control two pests of sugar cane, the grey backed cane beetle and the frenchie beetle. One hundred and one toads arrived at Edmonton in North Queensland in June 1935. Unseasonal breeding occurred almost immediately, and within 6 months over 60,000 young toads had been released.
B. marinus adapted well to the Australian environment and spread throughout coastal Queensland. The rate of spread was accelerated by toads deliberately moved ahead of the advancing front line. In the late 1930s toads were introduced with government sanction into about 11 sugar growing locations in northern and central coastal Queensland. After this date introductions were non-official. Foci in the gulf country, notably at Normanton and Burketown, and in northern New South Wales were started by toads being deliberately released by people. By the early 1980s the northern front line had crossed west into Northern Territory.
The natural rate of spread of B. marinus is now 30-50 km/year in the Northern Territory and about 5 km/year in northern New South Wales. The range of the cane toad now includes coastal Queensland, and associated inland areas, coastal northern New South Wales to just north of Lismore, coastal Northern Territory from the Queensland border to the south bank of the Roper River.
Didn't take em long to cross the NT, whats to eat in the kimberleys?
http://www.canetoadbattle.com
B. marinus adapted well to the Australian environment and spread throughout coastal Queensland. The rate of spread was accelerated by toads deliberately moved ahead of the advancing front line. In the late 1930s toads were introduced with government sanction into about 11 sugar growing locations in northern and central coastal Queensland. After this date introductions were non-official. Foci in the gulf country, notably at Normanton and Burketown, and in northern New South Wales were started by toads being deliberately released by people. By the early 1980s the northern front line had crossed west into Northern Territory.
The natural rate of spread of B. marinus is now 30-50 km/year in the Northern Territory and about 5 km/year in northern New South Wales. The range of the cane toad now includes coastal Queensland, and associated inland areas, coastal northern New South Wales to just north of Lismore, coastal Northern Territory from the Queensland border to the south bank of the Roper River.
Didn't take em long to cross the NT, whats to eat in the kimberleys?
http://www.canetoadbattle.com