By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT
tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net
NEARLY 400 cane toads have been caught as the battle against the invasive species continues.
The Bahamas National Trust in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environmental Health and the Best Commission have captured 392 toads as of July 21.
The species, now established in Western New Providence, is harmful to humans and even deadlier to pets, especially dogs.
Scott Johnson, science officer, Avian and Terrestrial Matters, Bahamas National Trust, told The Tribune that the species was first discovered in Lyford Cay in 2013 and has now made its way to the Old Fort Bay area.
"The cane toad task force began in 2013," Mr Johnson said. "There was a lull in the cane toad numbers at first, but numbers picked up and the task force had to be reinstituted in June 2020."
Although the task force found the toads in Western New Providence, it did a full investigation of the entire island of New Providence and found no trace of toads in other areas.
"The area that we caught them is in Old Fort Bay," said Johnson. "We found them in the plaza area not too far from Venetian West. From what we know with the toads, they were found in that area and outer wall of Charlottesville and at a lot near Windsor School.
"Before locating them in the west, we went around and checked various parts of the island and found nothing there. We have only found them in that area in the western part of the island. Our find in the west includes eggs, tadpoles, adult toads."
Johnson said that the population of toads in Lyford Cay is being regularly monitored. He also said there is a strong possibility that they could have been transported to the Old Fort Bay area by landscaping, or vehicles or there is the random chance that due to the close proximity of Lyford Cay to Old Fort Bay, the toads could have just dispersed there on their own.
"These cane toads are toxic," he said. "They produce bufotoxin which is a potent toxin that affects the heart. It can be problematic to humans. And, the creatures that are most at risk are native wildlife and pets, especially dogs.
"If you see a cane toad you should not panic. You should not try to chop it with a machete either due to the bufotoxin that it will squirt. You may want to call the Department of Environmental Health or the Department of Agriculture. It is very helpful if you can take pictures and send them in so we can confirm that it is actually a cane toad because we have come out and it was just large frogs."
Mr Johnson said the cane toads are easy to catch. He said one should put on gloves and place the toads in a plastic bag. The bag, he said, should be put in the freezer for 48 hours in order to euthanize the creatures.
At this point, Mr Johnson said the chances are the task force might never fully eradicate the toads, but they will be monitored regularly.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
"The area that we caught them is in Old Fort Bay"
hmmm...
"if you see a cane toad you should not panic"
that giant thing that jumps????
"You should not try to chop it with a machete"
Well... this the Bahamas... That's what we do. expect calls with people having been squirted with bufotixin after chopping Goliath
"He said one should put on gloves and place the toads in a plastic bag. The bag, he said, should be put in the freezer for 48 hours in order to euthanize the creatures.
again. this is the Bahamas. expect nobody to touch a frog. put it in a plastic bag and place in freezer next to the frozen fries.
but good job on protecting the environment
rawbahamian 4 years, 4 months ago
It is this same attitude ( dis da Bahamas and we is Bahamian) that has the Corona Virus sweeping The Bahamas the way it is doing !!!
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
lol
I just telling you Bahamians een putting no frog in the fridge
Johnnyblanco 4 years, 4 months ago
That's good and please do not kill them. They are beautiful animals. They help the environment. I have one 8.5 inches that I had imported from Venezuela 5 years ago fir a hefty sum of $500. Yes, they are valuable if they are big. He is now 11 inches and 4 1/2 pounds. His name is King Kane, the Cane Toad. I love him, he loves me. If the lady in this newspaper article picture sends me that one, I'll pay $300 US Dollars. Don't hurt them or you are murderers. Peace out, love from Pennsylvania!!!
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
this is where planning comes in. Know who you dealing with. Anticipate their response and mitigate. For the Rona they should have been testing at the border. For the frogs...get some antivenom ready
Clamshell 4 years, 4 months ago
What if the 20-pound toad decides it does not want to go into your plastic bag? Won’t it get angry and squirt poison on you anyway? Is this really the best advice y’all have? I vote for the machete.
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
20-pound Cane Toad vs My 12 gauge shotgun: Place your bets!
Then again, that might leave a little too much clean up work for me to do.
tell_it_like_it_is 4 years, 4 months ago
Yes, then the fact that it's an invasive species means that it has no local predators to keep it in check... just like the lion fish.
These people need to stop importing these fancy plants, that have fancy eggs that they can't see hidden in them...that produce fancy frogs... that squirt fancy poison and endanger native animals.
Next thing we'll hear, is that they accidentally imported a poisonous snake. I'm happy to know that our native creatures are not poisonous. WE DON'T NEED any more INVASIVE SPECIES brought here by ACCIDENT!!
They need to monitor imports more closely and have these things SANITIZED better to kill eggs and the like, before bringing them here. SMH
Entrepreneur 4 years, 4 months ago
Kiss the frog, it might turn into a prince? ha ha...
SP 4 years, 4 months ago
The cane toad was first discovered in Lyford Cay in 2013, breeds twice a year, laying up to 35,000 eggs each time.......And they're happy about catching 400 of them???
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
The Plague of the Toads
As adapted from Exodus 8:1-15:
Then the LORD said to Davis, "Go to Minnis and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let My people go, free them from lockdown so that they may serve Me. "But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite you and your supporters with poisonous toads. "You and yours will swarm with poisonous toads, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your supporters, and into their ovens and into their kneading bowls."
jus2cents 4 years, 4 months ago
Ha, ha,ha, brilliant! :)
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
I found it hillarious reading an article in today's Tribune about Acting Deputy Magistrate Andrew Forbes fining some poor singer $300 for the use of language that purportedly caused public terror. The singer was also hit with an additional fine of $150 for violent language - total $450. This naturally begs the question: Is our most 'incompetent authority', who has quite literally terrorized us time and time again with his ridiculously irrational and arbitrary orders, immune from being charged and fined for having caused so much public terror? Our most 'incompetent authority' has certainly incited the use of a lot of expletively laden violent language by the more unfairly treated and frustrated among us.
bogart 4 years, 4 months ago
Trapping Frog .......Find container like plastic bucket/pail even strudy box.....put container in front of you as shield and place container over frog trapping it.......then place heavy weight on top of container to prevent container wid trapped captured frog knocking it over and escaping......after trapped frog then get flat inflexible carboard or mabye cover of container and slide it under bucket gently not allowing any space for frog to escape...turn over bucket slowly as wid pressire to keep cover sealing bucket and then put weight on top..... .Viola.!....
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
You clearly don't know that these poisonous critters can jump 10 feet with little effort when they feel threatened. And heaven forbid they land on you after they jump.
bogart 4 years, 4 months ago
...thanx........er......for reason cant catch it jumping towards me/likely reasonable catcher if brave to go head on.....amended technique......I would go after trapping frog behind or direction in case of frog jumping...it would do so in direction of your yard...where it would be efficiently, effectively disposed....jus dont invite me over for any "mountain.chicken" food.......lol.
Johnnyblanco 4 years, 4 months ago
If you hurt one, 100 will come and spray you, your family and your pets and all of you will be blinded for 24 hours, the pets will not survive. Kill some iguanas or geckos. Toads are man's best friends. Long live Rhinella Marinas!!! Si matas un sapo de cana, eres un Asesino y mereces la carcel o mas, muerte!
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
oh boy :-/...clearly you didn't see the footage of the sharks. Frightened people can be fairly violent. Keep Kane safe in Pennsylvania
Capii 4 years, 4 months ago
I hope they aren't killing all the cane toads. Honestly could make good money selling them to people such as me to keep as pets. Toxic. Yes but nothing to worry about much at all. they mainly have a habit of peeing on you first and puffing up the dramatic chonkers. They scare easily. I believe the fatter the cuter. Females get the biggest. They are really chill and easy to care for. I wonder if they caught one well over 6 inches and many pounds. I'd love to have her😄
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
These toxic critters are very much like the illegal Haitian aliens. They came into our country illegally via the back door and once they got here they started multiplying like crazy.
ashley14 4 years, 4 months ago
Wow I've never heard of a cane toad. A 20 lb toad. I would scream if I saw one and they are poisonous.
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