It has long been thought that cane toads would never be able to survive in the cooler climate of southern Australia.
But as they continue to march across the country, it is becoming clear that the introduced pests are much more adaptable than anticipated.
“Toads are tough. They’re moving into areas that are colder and drier than in their native range,” Professor Rick Shine, one of Australia’s leading cane toad experts, said.
A University of Sydney study has found that toads adapted to mountainous regions on the NSW/Queensland border previously thought too cold for them, by basking in open sunlit areas and quickly adjusting to the lower temperatures.
This means a chilly Melbourne day wouldn’t be enough to wipe them out, and the city itself is ideal for them to thrive.
“Toads are essentially domestic animals. They are vastly more abundant in areas where people live,” Professor Shine said.
“We create all kinds of opportunities in suburbia for toads, places that are much warmer and wetter. We’re creating a fun park for cane toads.
“If you get a good, hot summer and toads in the right situation, laying 40,000 eggs at a time, you only need one clutch to make it through before you’ve got a lot of tadpoles wandering through Hawthorn.”
Cane toads are currently moving south at only about five kilometres a year. Yet there is no room for complacency.
“Toads like to hitchhike. As long as there are trucks going up and down the Pacific Highway between Melbourne and Brisbane, there are going to be cane toads dropped off accidentally,” Professor Shine said.
But a city invasion would make it easier to detect their presence and remove them.
“We’re a bit more likely to discover the toad invasion in the middle of the city than somewhere out in the bush,” Professor Shine said.
“It could be catastrophic for Jack Russell terriers.”
(Featured image: New research has found that cane toads could survive in Melbourne- if they can manage to hitch a ride down. Photo: David Nelson via ABC)
