Slashdot Mirror
Army Sent to Fight Millions of Invading Toxic Toads
Reporter writes "The Australian state government called for the army to be deployed against the invasion of toxic toads! Battalions of imported cane toads are marching relentlessly across northern Australia and the West Australian government wants soldiers to intercept the environmental barbarians. From the article: "The toads, Bufo Marinus, were introduced from South America into northeast Queensland state in the 1930s to control another pest: Beetles that were ravaging the sugar cane fields of the tropical northern coasts. But the toads now number in the millions and are spreading westward through the Northern Territory, upsetting the country's ecosystem in their wake. Cane toads have poisonous sacs on the back of their heads full of a venom so powerful it can kill crocodiles, snakes or other predators in minutes." More information about cane toads at Wikipedia."
I'm not not licking this toad.
It may look like I'm doing nothing, but I'm actively waiting for my problems to go away.
--Scott Adams
Fortunately, there's an easy solution to this problem. It turns out that these toads can be made sterile if they eat enough kudzu, which they find to be extremely tasty. Just plant enough kudzu and this problem goes away completely.
There are 0x40000000 types of people: those who understand 32-bit IEEE 754 floating point, and those who don't.
So evolved toxic toads are invading Darwin? You just can't make this sort of material up! I await posts of craven submission from Slashdotters willing to co-operate with the toxic toads.
"that talk about using traps but what do you do with the toads after you trap them"
mmmmm... Lunch.
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
You'd assume they learned their lesson from importing the rabbits.
New species + no predators = I, for one, welcome our new poisonous toad overlords!
We'll lick these toxic toads one way or another.
Karma: Excellent Birds (mostly as a result of listening to Laurie Anderson)
KENT
Our top story, the population of parasitic tree lizards has exploded, and local citizens couldn't be happier! It seems the rapacious reptiles have developed a taste for the common pigeon, also known as the 'feathered rat', or the 'gutter bird'. For the first time, citizens need not fear harassment by flocks of chattering disease-bags.
Later, Bart receives an award from Mayor Quimby outside the town hall. Several lizards slink past.
QUIMBY
For decimating our pigeon population, and making Springfield a less oppressive place to while away our worthless lives, I present you with this scented candle.
Skinner talks to Lisa.
SKINNER
Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend.
LISA
But isn't that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we're overrun by lizards?
SKINNER
No problem. We simply unleash wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They'll wipe out the lizards.
LISA
But aren't the snakes even worse?
SKINNER
Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat.
LISA
But then we're stuck with gorillas!
SKINNER
No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.
Supplies!
france is invading australia?
After this, they're just going to have to find some *bigger* predator to take out the Army. It's a neverending cycle.
I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
Slashdot: Blah Blah Blah Toads invading Australia
Dougie: Simpsons Did It!
Episode 6x16: Bart vs. Australia.
Australia deploys troops for Amphibious Warfare
...but ultimately my money is on the toads.
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
They kill their frogs with ESP.
l
No, really!
"A DIA 1975 report, "Soviet and Czechoslovakian Parapsychology Research, described "a scientific breakthrough of tremendous significance." Soviet scientists had reportedly learned that "psychic" abilities stemmed from a kind of brain energy. This energy, it was claimed, had been extracted from the brain into a beam. The beam was focused on houseflies, who "died instantly." A Soviet "killer psychic," one Nina Kulagina, was even able to "stop" the heart of a laboratory frog."
http://www.markriebling.com/archives/00000304.htm
Poisonous? Damn, there goes my idea to have thousands of princesses go out and kiss them.
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
let me get this straight, Australia has an army?
I hope months from now there is a /. post about how troops are losing the war on toads.
Can I bum a sig?