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Watch the video above, and then answer these questions.
What are some predators of the cane toad in Australia?
The cane toad has almost no predators in Australia. The toads are poisonous to almost all potential predators—even the saltwater crocodile. Human beings are the most powerful and effective predator of cane toads in Australia!
In the cane toad's native habitat of Central and South America, it has many natural predators. Caimans (a relative of the crocodile), snakes, birds, and even fish prey on the cane toad.
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Cane toads excrete a toxic substance that makes their skin poisonous. Where are the glands that excrete this poison?
The poison is spread from glands on the cane toad's shoulders.
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What do cane toads eat?
"Anything that fits in their mouth!" according to one biologist.
The toads do not limit their diet to living things. According to another naturalist, cane toads will even eat marbles and golf balls!
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Cane toads are not native to Australia. Why were they introduced?
Cane toads were introduced as a pest-control device. Farmers hoped the amphibians would eat insects that damaged sugar-cane crops.
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Did the introduction work?
No! According to the video, the "toads ate everything except the insects they were brought in to kill!"
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Articles & Profiles
Worksheets & Handouts
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Term Part of Speech Definition Encyclopedic Entry amphibian Noun an animal able to live both on land and in water.
cane toad Noun animal (amphibian) native to the Americas and considered an invasive species in Oceania and islands of the Caribbean.
crocodile Noun reptile native to parts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
crop Noun agricultural produce.
Encyclopedic Entry: crop excrete Verb to discharge a substance from the body.
farmer Noun person who cultivates land and raises crops.
gland Noun group of cells that secretes a chemical useful for the body to function.
insect Noun type of animal that breathes air and has a body divided into three segments, with six legs and usually wings.
naturalist Noun person who studies the natural history or natural development of organisms and the environment.
pest control Noun process of removing unwanted species (pests) from a specific geographic area.
poison Noun substance that harms health.
predator Noun animal that hunts other animals for food.
sugar cane Noun tall grass that is harvested to extract sugar from its sap or juice.
toxic Adjective poisonous.
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Producers
Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society
Last Updated
Nov. 23, 2011
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