Cane Toad Research Paper

740 Words3 Pages
An invasive species is an organism that is not native and has negative effects on the environment and health. Not all species are invasive but there are a number that are becoming a problem in certain areas. The Cane Toad for example is considered an invasive species due to its rapid growth in areas in has been introduced to. The toad is a prolific breeder, has very few predators, and has a wide range in diet making it easy for them to survive in many conditions. Cane Toads are a threat to the new environments they inhabit as well as the humans, and native animals in those areas. (wikipedia, 2014) Native to tropical South America, the southern US and Central America, the Cane toad has been introduced to many places including the Caribbean,…show more content…
When the eggs hatch thousands of tiny black tadpoles start their life off in groups. They will only remain tadpoles for 12-60 days, since they have an extremely fast growth rate. Growth slows as they reach sexual maturity, but it is highly important when they are young adults because they no longer have the toxicity that protected them when they were younger. As they develop into adults and reach their full maturity, they then grow glands that then start to produce the toxins they had when they were younger. As adults, Cane toads vary in many different colours patterns and sizes. They are usually an olive-brown, reddish colour, with varying patterns. You can identify a cane toad by their large, stocky appearances and dry, warty skin. Cane toads have horizontal pupils and golden irises with large parotoid glands behind each eye and sacs that run down their sides. Both glands and sacs carry a poison called bufotoxin, which is highly toxic and dangerous to almost all species when ingested. (wikipedia, 2014) This poison has actually been known to kill humans and many animals in previous and current times. Cane toads have a lifespan of 10-15 years in the wild and between 15-30 years in captivity. With the toads reproducing so fast and having a considerably long life span it’s no wonder that this animal has become such an invasive species. (geographic,
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