Cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935 as a biological control method against the Greyback beetle that was destroying sugar cane crops. As the cane toad continues its march across Australia, travelling up to 60 kilometres a year, it is not bad news for all animals in its path. No humans have died in Australia from Cane Toad poison but overseas, people have died after eating toads and even soup made from boiled toad eggs. Story of the Cane Toad – Biological Control Gone BAD! Many species of toads are found all across the United States, and all toads excrete some type of toxin. Cane toads don’t have any noticeable economic impact in Australia as they don’t affect agriculture and animal husbandry, etc. They carry enough toxins on their bodies to injure your pets and kill them. As the cane toad continues its march across Australia, travelling up to 60 kilometres a year, it is not bad news for all animals in its path. Rick Shine. On humans, their toxins will irritate eyes and skin, especially on open wounds. Because they are poisoning and eating our natural wild life. Ecological impacts of invasive cane toads. Cane Toad - Negative Impact on the Ecosystem Why is the Cane Toad a Pest. The Cane Toad is poisonous and can kill other animals that eat it. Dogs love to investigate anything that moves, and toads are no exception. The Cane Toad was first found in Central and South America, but is now found in several other places in the world, including Australia. With their predatory instincts, dogs commonly catch toads with their mouths. Credit: Terri Shine "But it is clear that in many of these areas where they were once very common, the numbers are much lower than they once were." Life 19 March 2015 By Michael Slezak. Hot Topics in Ecology. Cane Toads are also poisonous to pets and in Hawaii up to 50 dogs a year have died after mouthing Cane Toads. They do pose a nuisance factor, however, because of their presence in urban areas. Signs of poisoning through ingestion include profuse salivation, twitching, vomiting, shallow breathing, and collapse of the hind limbs. In the early 20th century, sugarcane growers transplanted thousands of cane toads to other countries in an attempt to control various beetle species that ate the sugarcane crops. Ecological impacts of invasive cane toads . However, the toads' ability to change their behaviour in response to their environment, as this study reveals, is more bad news for managers attempting to control cane toads. Dry, warty and incredibly toxic.