Cane toads, the green and warty invasive animals that are spreading ruin throughout ecosystems in northern Australia, may not continue their relentless march southward towards the sea. According to a new study, lower temperatures in the south may stop the toads in their tracks.
Researchers coaxed the toads into hopping through a 2-meter course in a laboratory to make a so-called “cane toad Olympics,” and measured the cold-blooded creatures’ hops at different temperatures. They found that in temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the toads could hop at a speed of over one mile per hour. But below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, they slowed to a glacial .2 miles per hour. “This means that there’s no way the toads could invade southern parts like Melbourne, Adelaide … because they wouldn’t be able to move,” said researcher Dr Michael Kearney…. The winters of southern Australia would be too cold for the cane toads to forage or spawn, he said [The Age].
