Cane Toad Research Paper

Madison Bryant-Baker P. 4th.

Cane Toads: An Invasive Species Have you ever wondered what it would be like if an alien entity invaded Earth? Well, technically, there are entities invading our land, only it’s not aliens. It’s beings that have existed on Earth for millions of years. These organisms are spreading everywhere, and fast. You may be wondering, “What even is an invasive species, and why are they a threat?” An invasive species is a non-native species introduced to a certain area that spreads throughout the land quickly. They pose a threat because they can kill other populations and take resources, outcompeting the original organisms. According to an article titled, “What is an invasive species and why are they a problem?”, published …show more content…
In 1935, the government released about 2,400 cane toads into north Queensland at the request of sugarcane plantation owners. Throughout time, they have spread anywhere from Florida to the Philippines. They might be quite small, but they dispersed widely and quickly. Releasing them to Queensland is an issue because they have no natural predators, eat most things, and can reproduce easily. According to an online article titled, “Cane Toad,” published by National Geographic, “Because they have no natural predators in Australia, will eat almost anything, and reproduce easily, they spread quickly and widely.” The cane toad epidemic is not the plantation owners’ fault, though. It is the government’s fault for releasing them in the first place. An article titled, “How did the cane toad arrive in Australia'', written by PestSmart, states, “The introduction of cane toads (Bufo marinus) to Australia in the 1930s is one of the foremost examples of an exotic animal release gone wrong.” Resulting from irresponsible and non-controlled decisions made by our government, cane toads have become an issue. Another article titled, “10 Facts about cane toads”, put online by WWF Australia, states, “How …show more content…
They hurt our environment, and they didn’t even serve their purpose, which was to control beetle populations and help sugarcane thrive. Even though these toads are clearly a threat, some people still claim that they are good for the environment and should just be left alone. An article with the name, “Helpful invaders: can cane toads reduce the burdens of native frogs?”, written by Cara Macfarlane from BugBitten, says, “Cane toads and the native frogs of Australia both have their own distinct lungworm species; Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala infects cane toads, while Rhabdias hylae is specific to native frog species. While the two genetically distinct parasites are adapted to their particular host type, experimental infections have shown that the two lungworm species can actually penetrate their non-native host. However, the parasite life cycle cannot be completed when the worm is not in its native host and the parasite dies.” Releasing cane toads would kill off the lungworms, but that also means lungworms would likely evolve and develop

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