Why Was the Cane Toad Introduced to Australia?

Cane toads became pests after being introduced into Australia to control destructive beetles in Queensland's sugarcane crops. Cane toads are capable of poisoning predators that try to eat them and they continue to spread across Australia.

When was the cane toad introduced and why?

Cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935

They were brought to Australia from Hawaii with the intention to control the cane beetle in sugar cane fields in north Queensland. Only 102 cane toads were brought over to be bred, and 2,400 toads were released in 1935.

What was introduced to kill Cane toads?

One native species, the Torresian crow, has learned how to kill and eat cane toads without ingesting the poison by flipping it onto its back and using its powerful bill to deliver a lethal blow to the throat where the toad's skin is thinner, giving the crow access to the toad's non-toxic innards.