Page 21 - 060120 Senior Voice Citrus24 proof 4

Senior Voice of Citrus County - JUNE 2020 • 21
C a n e To a d i n Yo u r
N e i g h b o r h o o d
By Steven Davis,
Florida-Friendly
Landscaping Coordinator,
Citrus County
Department of Water
Resources
The Cane toad, or Bufo toad,
is native to South and Central
America. Cane toads are
poisonous. It can be quite large
at maturity, growing to 3-6
inches and weighing up to 2.9
pounds.
The cane toad is an invasive
species introduced into southern
Florida in 1930 to assist in
the biologic control of beetles
damaging sugarcane crops. The
cane toad also was released in
other parts of the world for the
same purpose.
In Australia, the intentional
release of a thousand cane
toads in 1935 resulted in
the tens of millions in the
current Bufo population Down
Under. Fortunately for us, the
first release of the Bufo was
unsuccessful with the released
population not successfully
establishing. We weren’t so
lucky the second time. In
1955, a pet wholesaler released
101 cane toads in Miami,
successfully establishing
Florida’s current population,
which is now migrating north
to the I-4 corridor in Central
Florida. Intentional release of
bufo still occurs when pet toads
are no longer wanted and are let
go into the Florida landscape.
This invasive critter is a little
unusual. Typically, invasive
species have huge impacts
Senior Voice
News Publications
To advertise, please contact:
Shelley Ketchum
813-334-9493
seniorvoiceshelley@gmail.com
Adult Cane Toad James Dean
352-503-2195
Jim Vavala
352-277-6309
seniorvoice99@gmail.com
Current Identified Bufo Toad Over 50,000 copies distributed
population in Florida
on the natural environment, every month in Citrus
displacing native species and and Hernando Counties!
affecting agriculture, doing
damage to regional economies. Your Pathway to
This species has a wide range the Senior Market!
of native habitats, including
savanna and open forests.
In Florida, Bufo prefers
your back yard, particularly
preferring areas near golf
courses, schoolyards, and other
human modified environments.
The Bufo is a prolific breeder,
mating year-round and
particularly after heavy rains.
Be aware of this beast. It
secretes a toxic poison. Pets
may chase and pester small
creatures. If a Bufo toad is the
creature being pestered it could
cause an injury to your pet if the
toxin is swallowed. Keep pet
foods and water indoors at night.
Bufo, unlike other amphibians,
Continued on page 23