Cane Toads

Yesterday and today, we rescued two giant cane toads from our pool. The photo makes the toad look like it is normal Ontario size but it was much much bigger. Karen’s toad houses would have to be three or four times the size of the ones she makes for the toads at our cottage.

Historically, Cane toads, due to their voracious appetites, were used to get rid of pests in sugarcane plantations, giving rise to their common name. They are also called “giant toads" or “marine toads".

They are very large and females are significantly longer than males. The ones we have seen and rescued from our pool were the size of small cabbages! Maybe 6” long and very fat and flabby. Some can weigh up to 1 kg! They have a life expectancy of 10- 15 years in the wild.

The skin of the toad is dry and warty and the ones we have seen are a yellow-brown colour, with a pattern. I don’t have a problem scooping frogs out of the pool with my hands but there is no way that I want to grab one of this squishy toads. Our pool skimmer works just fine.

I did read that if this toad feels threatened, it releases a milky substance that is toxic enough to burn the eyes or inflame the skin unless it is sensed off immediately.

Once the toad was released, it raised itself and ran, and I mean ran. Not like our toads at home. It was fast! It didn’t really have fully webbed feet, they were more like long fingers. In the morning, we wake up to their deep croaks.

By the way, this was the same type of toad that that we saw when we first arrived here, hiding under my face mask on an end table. Another night, there was one under the seat cushion. Imagine if we had sat on it!Read more