Rhinella marina

Other Names: Giant neotropical toad, marine toad

Introduced From: 1

Size: 8-25 cm

Family: Bufonidae, True Toads, over 35 genera in the world

Distribution: Its range has since spread to much of northern and eastern Australia, as far south as about Port Macquarie, and as far west as the Kimberleys, and as far from the coasts as about 1000 km.

Danger: True toads (i.e. frogs in the family Bufonidae), have a pair of toxin glands which makes them poisonous to eat. Some species, e.g. the Cane Toad (Rhinella marina), are more toxic than others. Some others are known as "psychoactive toads", such as the Colorado River toad Incilius alvarius, and have been used recreationally for the effects of their bufotoxin. These are not found wild in Australia though.

References: Clulow and Swan, Wikipedia.

About the Cane Toad

The cane toad is an introduced species, which was deliberately released in 1935 to control (i.e. eat) cane sugar beetles which were a pest to cane sugar plantations in north Queensland.

The Cane Toad is the only Bufonidae species (i.e. True Toad) in found in the wild in Australia.

Photo taken at Australian Reptile Park, Gosford NSW. Higher Resolution 2500 x 1663.

Photo taken at Australian Reptile Park, Gosford NSW. Higher Resolution 3000 x 1996.

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Birds
Australian Reptiles
Australian Fish
Australian Spiders and Their Faces
Australian Wild Plant Foods

Return to Australian Frogs