Prepared by School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook
University, Townsville, Qld for the Department of the
Environment and Heritage, October 2006 About the document Large
populations of cane toads (Bufo marinus) occur in Queensland,
the Northern Territory and New South Wales, and toad populations
are still expanding west and south. In states where toads occur,
and states toads will reach soon (i.e., Western Australia),
there is significant public concern about toads and their
impacts on natural ecosystem values, native wildlife and
domestic pests. Methods of toad control involving gene
technology or introduced or genetically engineered diseases are
in the early development stage, and are not likely to be
available in the short to medium term (5-10 years). Thus, low
technology approaches to control, such as trapping, provide a
temporary solution that may allow control of toads in localised
areas, and empower the public to “do something”. Recent
mathematical modelling suggests that if traps are very ef