{"id":119036,"date":"2025-09-04T10:18:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T10:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/119036\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T10:18:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T10:18:09","slug":"watch-out-for-this-toxic-florida-toad-it-could-be-deadly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/119036\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch out for this toxic Florida toad. It could be deadly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Florida is host to a variety of invasive species<\/a>, largely thanks to its history in the exotic pet trade.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s one amphibian you may want to keep an eye out for, as it could prove dangerous.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the cane toad \u2014 also dubbed the \u201cBufo\u201d toad \u2014 which was originally brought to Florida in the 1930s as part of a pest control program, according to the UF\/IFAS.<\/a><\/p>\n

FILE – In this July 22, 2003 file photo, a cane toad sits at Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory. When cane toads crossed the border of Australia’s largest state in 2009, the Kimberley Toad Busters knew the battle against the poisonous pest was on. What they didn’t know: that government concern over animal rights might strip them of their most effective weapon against the hated environmental menace. (AP Photo\/Mark Baker, File) (AP2003)<\/p>\n

At the time, cane toads were used to eat beetles threatening sugar cane crops in the state, though the initial population didn\u2019t survive this attempt.<\/p>\n

Instead, around 100 of these toads were released into the wild by a pet importer at the Miami airport in the 1950s. Alongside similar incidents in other parts of South Florida, this incident sparked the rise of the cane toad population statewide, researchers explained.<\/p>\n

Some of the thousands of cane toads caught by the residents of Cairns Australia overnight and entered into the “Toad’s Day Out” program, await euthanasia by freezing in Cairns, Australia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. Thousands of poisonous cane toads met a poetic fate on Sunday, as gleeful Australians gathered for a celebratory mass killing of the hated amphibians, with many of the creatures’ corpses being turned into fertilizer for the very farmers they’ve plagued for years. (AP Photo\/Brian Cassey) (AP2009)<\/p>\n

Nowadays, experts say that cane toads are largely found in South Florida, with populations reaching into the Polk County portion of Central Florida.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s also an isolated group of these toads that\u2019s been established in DeLand, strangely enough.<\/p>\n

[BELOW: Florida Wildlife Ecologist Dr. Steve Johnson shows how to identify cane toads]<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

But while these toads may not appear imposing, they can be a major health risk for those caught unaware.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because cane toads are highly toxic, which can sicken or even kill animals that try to get a taste. As such, state officials caution pet owners to keep their animals away from these amphibians.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe skin secretions may irritate the skin or burn the eyes of people who handle them,\u201d FWC officials report<\/a>. \u201cCane toad eggs also contain bufotoxin and can harm or kill native animals that consume them.\u201d<\/p>\n

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 29: Poisonous cane toad tadpoles, also known as bufos, are seen in a lake on March 29, 2019 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The highly toxic species of toad, which can cause harm to animals and people, has inundated some places in the Palm Beach area as the baby toads come out of the water this time of the year. (Photo by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images) (2019 Getty Images)<\/p>\n

If a pet bites or swallows a cane toad, FWC officials warn that the animal could get sick and die as soon as 15 minutes afterward if it goes without proper treatment.<\/p>\n

Symptoms can include frantic or disoriented behavior, brick-red gums, seizures and foaming at the mouth. <\/p>\n

Owners who spot these symptoms are urged to wash the toxins out of the mouth with a hose for ten minutes while being careful not to send water down the pet\u2019s throat. <\/p>\n

Afterward, owners should wipe the gums and the animal\u2019s tongue with a dish towel to remove toxins before getting the pet to a veterinarian\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Image of a cane toad courtesy of sandid on Pixabay (sandid via Pixabay)<\/p>\n

Despite its toxicity, it\u2019s actually legal to own a cane toad as a pet<\/a> in Florida, just so long as you don\u2019t release it into the wild.<\/p>\n

That being said, homeowners who find cane toads on their property are also allowed to remove and humanely kill them. To do so, it\u2019s encouraged to wear eye and skin protection, as well as latex or rubber gloves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is also very important to make sure that you have properly identified the animal as a cane toad and not a native southern toad, which is a beneficial part of the Florida ecosystem,\u201d FWC officials caution.<\/p>\n

A handy guide from the FWC to help residents distinguish between invasive cane toads and the native southern toad (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)<\/p>\n

Homeowners can also take the following steps to dissuade cane toads from coming onto their property:<\/p>\n

Remove places where cane toads or their prey can hide<\/p>\n

Cut grass regularly and keep it short<\/p>\n

Fill in any holes around structures<\/p>\n

Trim the underside of shrubs<\/p>\n

Keep branches off the ground<\/p>\n

Clear away brush piles<\/p>\n

Remove clutter<\/p>\n

Remove food that can attract cane toads and their prey<\/p>\n

Feed pets indoors when possible<\/p>\n

Bring outdoor pet food and water bowls indoors at night<\/p>\n

Clean up any food scraps from pet bowls or outside areas<\/p>\n

For more information on cane toads and how to handle them, visit the FWC\u2019s website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Florida is host to a variety of invasive species, largely thanks to its history in the exotic pet…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119037,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[2837,49,48,66330,295,5105,6388,84,62610,66,66329,66331,323],"class_list":{"0":"post-119036","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-animals","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-deland","12":"tag-environment","13":"tag-features","14":"tag-florida","15":"tag-health","16":"tag-polk-county","17":"tag-science","18":"tag-strange-florida","19":"tag-volusia-county","20":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}