#bufo toads

[luckybatbones]

A beautiful southern toad (Anaxyrus terrestris)

[rjzimmerman]

The frogs are raising fears about the dangers they pose to pets and children, according to local reports.

The Cane Toad, also known as the bufo toad, was introduced in Florida from South America to try to control sugar cane pests earlier this century. Gland secretions of cane toads are highly toxic and can sicken or even kill animals that bite or feed on them, including native animals and domestic pets. (R.D. Bartlett / Associated Press)

Excerpt from this Washington Post story:

Thousands of poisonous toads have flooded a South Florida neighborhood, raising fears about the dangers they pose to pets and children, according to local reports.

The toads started appearing in Palm Beach Gardens, a city of 55,000, north of Miami, in recent weeks, according CBS Miami.

They have been found in people’s gardens, swimming pools, sidewalks and driveways in the Mirabella neighborhood, according to footage shared by WPTV, an NBC affiliate in Palm Beach.

“I just see a massive amount of toads or frogs everywhere, covering every square inch,” resident Jenni Quasha told WPTV. “You can’t even walk through the grass without stepping on one.”

News outlets reported that the toads were poisonous bufo toads, also known as cane toads. The toads are not native to the United States, but their presence in Florida dates from the accidental release of about 100 from a pet dealer at the Miami airport in 1955, according to the University of Florida.

Bufo toads secrete a toxic milky substance from their heads when they are handled or threatened. It can burn eyes, irritate skin and pose a serious danger to cats and dogs if the toads are ingested, the university said.

[the-swamprat]

Seeing as how insane the Cane Toads are this season, if any of my south Florida followers are or have ever been interested in attempting the Toad Bone Rite, now is 100% your chance.