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Native
Frog
or
Cane Toad?
TO ENSURE OUR NATIVE FROGS ARE PROTECTED, VISIT:
www.frogsnotcanetoads.com.au
Answer: The Cane Toad is in the middle! The Eastern Snapping Frog (Cyclorana
novaehollandiae) is first, the Cane Toad (Bufo marinus) second and the ShortFooted Frog (Cyclorana brevipes) on the far right. Did you get it right?
Native Frog or Cane Toad?
Some species of native frog are easy to mistake.
Can you tell the difference?
Before you kill a cane toad, you need to make absolutely sure
that it is a cane toad and not a native frog.
HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE:
One of the easiest ways to recognise a Cane Toad is by the
very large poison glands on the shoulders, the dry, leathery
skin and the thick ridge on the eyelids.
JUVENILES:
Juvenile cane toads often have very
colourful red, yellow and darker brown
patches over their back. It can be quite
difficult to distinguish between some of
our smaller native frogs and a juvenile
cane toad. If you are unsure of the
difference it is best to leave them alone.
Juvenile cane toad
Tadpoles:
Eyes of the cane toad tadpoles are located more towards the
middle of the head. Belly of native tadpoles is most often
opaque silver or copper, while that of cane toads is dark
bluish-black. Cane toad tadpoles are often seen swimming in
very large swarms of small black tadpoles.
Tadpoles
Eggs:
Cane toad eggs are in a very large tangled mass of long
strands or ropes of eggs in thick jelly. The most commonly
seen eggs of native frogs in ponds and creek pools are white
foamy clumps that float on the surface.
Native frog eggs
Photographs by Anthony Beckett & Marion Anstis
Cane toad eggs