Comments on: Drying out the cane toad invasion http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: kadyn http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10797 kadyn Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:48:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10797 @Vaish Not all toads do this but some are like your description. But then again how any humans say this, all they do do exactly the same thing as you said bu some live a little better. @Vaish

Not all toads do this but some are like your description. But then again how any humans say this, all they do do exactly the same thing as you said bu some live a little better.

]]> By: Simon S. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10796 Simon S. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 06:39:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10796 Cane toads have caused terrible population declines in goannas, snakes, crocodiles and some small mammals in all areas they have moved into. So this looks like a really neat and practical solution to the problem. Good luck to them! Cane toads have caused terrible population declines in goannas, snakes, crocodiles and some small mammals in all areas they have moved into. So this looks like a really neat and practical solution to the problem. Good luck to them!

]]> By: Matt B. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10795 Matt B. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:44:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10795 Wow, I've never heard of a frog cocoon before. Wow, I’ve never heard of a frog cocoon before.

]]> By: Emmy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10794 Emmy Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:30:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10794 I'm sorry to say this, but I think it's deplorable. With no say of their own, the toads were intentionally introduced by humans to this area. Now they're being cruelly killed because they're the scapegoat for what is ultimately our fault. "humans have provided them with moisture galore, in the form of cattle troughs, boreholes, and dams.".....which causes deforestation (cattle farms) and disruption of riparian species (dams). This is like the roundup and killing of feral cats in Florida. Cats (both feral AND domestic, indiscrminately) are being trapped killed, but no laws are being made to keep cats indoors. So the cycle starts all over again. In fact, opening an ecological niche like that can make the problem worse. What laws were made to prevent this from happening again? Are they spending more money on that than on killing the frogs? And what other ecological consequences will the fence bring? Anyone can see there will be other problems with this. Most species decimation is caused by habitat loss. Our fault. If frogs are troublesome tresspassers, what are we? I’m sorry to say this, but I think it’s deplorable. With no say of their own, the toads were intentionally introduced by humans to this area. Now they’re being cruelly killed because they’re the scapegoat for what is ultimately our fault.

“humans have provided them with moisture galore, in the form of cattle troughs, boreholes, and dams.”…..which causes deforestation (cattle farms) and disruption of riparian species (dams).

This is like the roundup and killing of feral cats in Florida. Cats (both feral AND domestic, indiscrminately) are being trapped killed, but no laws are being made to keep cats indoors. So the cycle starts all over again. In fact, opening an ecological niche like that can make the problem worse.

What laws were made to prevent this from happening again? Are they spending more money on that than on killing the frogs? And what other ecological consequences will the fence bring? Anyone can see there will be other problems with this.

Most species decimation is caused by habitat loss. Our fault. If frogs are troublesome tresspassers, what are we?

]]> By: KBHC http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10793 KBHC Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:23:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10793 What a neat project, even if the invasive buggers are kind of adorable. What a neat project, even if the invasive buggers are kind of adorable.

]]> By: Marlene Zuk http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10792 Marlene Zuk Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:11:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10792 As luck would have it, I was *just* writing about cane toads. If people just can't get enough about them (and indeed who could?), check out Rick Shine's lab website about them: http://www.canetoadsinoz.com/. Rick is at the U of Sydney and is kind of a cane toad guru; his wife, Terri Shine, created the website. There are a bunch of cane toad myths debunked there, like the idea that they never controlled the beetles they were brought in to destroy. Apparently no one really knows if the toads helped or not, though at least some of the beetles are still around. As luck would have it, I was *just* writing about cane toads. If people just can’t get enough about them (and indeed who could?), check out Rick Shine’s lab website about them: http://www.canetoadsinoz.com/. Rick is at the U of Sydney and is kind of a cane toad guru; his wife, Terri Shine, created the website. There are a bunch of cane toad myths debunked there, like the idea that they never controlled the beetles they were brought in to destroy. Apparently no one really knows if the toads helped or not, though at least some of the beetles are still around.

]]> By: Ant http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10791 Ant Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:05:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10791 Florance sounds like an awesome Environmentalist,Go Florance! Florance sounds like an awesome Environmentalist,Go Florance!

]]> By: Albertonykus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10790 Albertonykus Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:18:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10790 Pythons hop over fences? Pythons hop over fences?

]]> By: Vaish http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10789 Vaish Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:08:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10789 There's a reason why I hate toads. They just populate and pollute like they have no better job to do. There’s a reason why I hate toads. They just populate and pollute like they have no better job to do.

]]> By: zackoz http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/22/drying-out-the-cane-toad-invasion/#comment-10788 zackoz Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:29:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3890#comment-10788 Good luck to them, but I can't help feeling some hopelessness at these efforts. Australia is paradise for invasive species - apart from cane toads (as noted), we now have feral goats, cats, dogs, camels, buffaloes, foxes, Indian mynas, Asian bees, European wasps and many more, not to mention invasive European humans. Good luck to them, but I can’t help feeling some hopelessness at these efforts.

Australia is paradise for invasive species – apart from cane toads (as noted), we now have feral goats, cats, dogs, camels, buffaloes, foxes, Indian mynas, Asian bees, European wasps and many more, not to mention invasive European humans.

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