A new and unexpected obstacle is thwarting efforts to control the invasive cane toad populations in Australia: a potential ban on the most commonly used method for killing the animals -- carbon ...

In 1935, a species known as the giant neotropical toad (Rhinella marina) was introduced to Australia. Scientists hoped these amphibians would control native cane beetles, but cane toads quickly ...

When invasive species start obliterating a habitat, humans in the area often seek to eradicate the invader. People set up nets, lay traps, and aim firearms at the offenders. Sometimes, these efforts ...

A landmark study published in the journal Conservation Letters this month outlines a clever strategy pioneered by Macquarie University researchers to protect vulnerable native species from the ...

Scientists in Australia have genetically modified invasive cane toad eggs to create “Peter Pan” tadpoles that never grow up—they don’t ever metamorphose into adults. Cane toad tadpoles already have an ...

Cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935 to control sugarcane beetles, but the toads ignore the beetles while decimating the ecosystem they were meant to protect. Instead, they became a highly ...

Setting cane toads loose in areas of Australia that don’t already have them may sound like a crazy idea, but research by the University of Sydney’s Professor Rick Shine suggests this could lessen the ...

In the 1930s, cane toads were introduced to Australia with the promise of solving a beetle problem for sugarcane farmers. However, these toads brought along a deadly catch – their poison glands, which ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Brought in to address a problem, cane toads now represent ...