Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Army Sent to Fight Millions of Invading Toxic Toads

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the can-you-lick-them-to-get-high dept.

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."

4 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. Biological warfare by nuggz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is an example of what can happen if you use biological means to control a situation.

    There tends to be an unintended consequence, which often may be much worse than the origional affliction.

    Although I hope they think carefully about this type of behaviour in the future, I doubt it.
    The biological ideas they're coming up with to fight drugs in the US are much scarier than a few million frogs.

  2. Re:Very Little Information by Red+Flayer · · Score: 3, Insightful
    it's easier to use a trap or target the nests
    Nests? Of toads? Now you're really scaring me, if they've evolved parenting.

    The white paper is probably spot-on: Kill the adults, destroy the eggs. Lather, rinse, repeat for each breeding cycle.

    It might cost a lot, but it is possible. The most expensive part will be eradicating isolated resevoirs of breeding populations.

    As to what you do after you trap them: make fertilizer out of them.
    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  3. Re:Very Little Information by mspohr · · Score: 3, Insightful
    In the USA, we're sending the army to stop people crossing our southern border. This will be about as useful as Australia sending their army to stop the toads.

    Idiot politicians will reap big benefits for "doing something" about the problem from the idiot voters (in case you couldn't tell, "idiot voters" are in the majority in the USA).

    --
    I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
  4. Re:So hungry... by Schraegstrichpunkt · · Score: 4, Insightful
    we quite well could be resistant or immune to Cane Toad Venom as well

    We are resistant to cane toad venom. Our adaptation is specifically the ability to be smart enough not to ingest the stuff.

    --
    http://outcampaign.org/