# Cane toads



## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

For some time i have been thinking about keeping a cane toad, to my knowledge this is legal in QLD (if you want to say otherwise please direct me to where it says so).

Has anyone here ever kept them before? or got any tips for keeping them?

Im not posting this thread to start an arguement, i proably do more than most here to eliminate them. Im not posting this to hear 'just kill it' or other stupid comments.


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

Also i would be interested to learn about their poison and if it can be transmitted through their skin other than where their poison glands are.
Any good links or info would be appreciated.


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## jordo (Feb 8, 2007)

A student at Melbourne uni had kept some for research a few years ago and said they wont eat if they're too cold but otherwise they are fairly easy to keep even eating dog food.


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## stary boy (Feb 8, 2007)

on ya mate...something different.... ugly ...but different lol


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## bug_collector (Feb 8, 2007)

i think theyre cute, in their own weird way, go for it an get a cane toad, ive got no idea how to keep em, practise makes perfect?? plenty of wild ones haha


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## MrSpike (Feb 8, 2007)

I had been thinking about get 1 single cane toad, but can't be bothered to get an amphibian license lol. I would imagine they would be fairly easy to keep, moist substrate, some leaf litter to hide in, a water source, some food and no golf club's and they will be sweet!

Hope you find some, if not you can go to my sisters house, millions of them there.


cheers


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## mitchdiamond (Feb 8, 2007)

Why not keep a nice native frog.


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

stary boy said:


> on ya mate...something different.... ugly ...but different lol



Yeah, not for the cuteness factor :lol:


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## gillsy (Feb 8, 2007)

Cane Toads are considered a noxious pest, there is HUGE fines for even putting one in a bucket alive.

This is not a go at you.


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

gillsy said:


> Cane Toads are considered a noxious pest, there is HUGE fines for even putting one in a bucket alive.



In QLD they are not a declared pest, please read my first post.


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

gillsy said:


> This is not a go at you.


Nah im not one of those ppl who take things like that, even if i am a bit blunt at times.


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## Thor1 (Feb 8, 2007)

why would you want one at all?


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## bredli84 (Feb 8, 2007)

dont think their toxin is dangerous on the skin (we dissected them at uni) just make sure u wash hands thoroughly after handling, be careful not to touch your eyes and when u go to the toilet :lol:


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## bug_collector (Feb 8, 2007)

Thor1 said:


> why would you want one at all?




some ppl dont like snakes, why would you want one? its all pplz opinions


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## Adam (Feb 8, 2007)

I am tempted to keep one as our 4 year old daughter keeps calling our bearded dragons cane toads, no matter how much we try to teach her. I figured if I put one in her bedroom she will soon figure it out!! LOL The poison is only transmitted from the glands.


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

Thor1 said:


> why would you want one at all?



They are pretty awesome animals IMO, if more ppl kept them we would know alot more about them too.
I have always and will always kill any i see in the wild(well except for the 1 i keep if i decide to), whenever i walk somewhere from my house at night i usually get 5 or so big adults and they havnt successfully bred in my ponds for many years.


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## Thor1 (Feb 8, 2007)

i lived in qld for a while and cane toads are total pests. i have no clue why someone would want one as a pet.


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## Thor1 (Feb 8, 2007)

so chris you should realise cane toads are evil and terrible for our country. whats awesome about them???


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## bredli84 (Feb 8, 2007)

u need to ingest or get the poison in an open wound i believe


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

Thor1 said:


> so chris you should realise cane toads are evil and terrible for our country. whats awesome about them???



Yeah i know they are really bad for the country thats the main reason why i want to keep them, as for them being evil, they are no more evil than any other animal.
Im not going to release them or anything, i would keep it securely until it dies or they become illegal.

Keeping a cane toad as a 'pet' in Brisbane is far less of a threat to biodiversity than keeping reptiles that dont originate from the area(99% of what ppl keep).


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## Thor1 (Feb 8, 2007)

maybe im thick becuase i still see no reason why they are awesome.


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## Retic (Feb 8, 2007)

Cris, I kept one many years ago in the UK back when they were referred to as Marine Toads. They actually are pretty easy to keep and are incredibly hardy. I kill everyone I see but don't consider them evil or ugly or disgusting and I take absolutely no pleasure in killing them. 
The fact that you keep one will have zero affect on the wildlife of Queensland.


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

Thor1 said:


> maybe im thick becuase i still see no reason why they are awesome.



Probably not, i would assume it is just your opinion. There are alot of ppl who hate animals just because they are pests, and if they are in a place where they are a pest that is OK, im not much of a fan of cats, but if they are kept locked up its ok with me and they are safe that way too 
A cane toad in a secure enclosure well inside its existing range is no threat to anything.

I wasnt trying to debate about stuff in this thread.


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## Retic (Feb 8, 2007)

I don't hate any animal because it is a pest, I hate what they do but I don't hate the animal as an animal. I reckon foxes are beautiful animals, they have no place here but that doesn't make them an ugly loathsome animal.


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## RevDaniel (Feb 8, 2007)

kill them all. Kidding. I do not know the legalities of it but with a warmer temperature i think they would be easy enough to care for. Try to avoid licking the backs. Not cool


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## rubydimond (Feb 8, 2007)

getting back to the question that was asked 
ring the zoo and speak to them about how to care for them that is what i would do 
good luck with the cain toad!!


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## Chris89 (Feb 8, 2007)

I wouldn't want to keep a pet toad, they make me want to throw up. I have no idea why. Ever since I was like 4 if I saw a cane toad I started to feel like I was going to be sick.. It's up to you if you want to keep one as a pet?.

There was a cane toad in our garage the other day, so I got the rack and sort of pushed it outside and then whacked it over the fense, it got up and hopped away.


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

boa said:


> I don't hate any animal because it is a pest, I hate what they do but I don't hate the animal as an animal. I reckon foxes are beautiful animals, they have no place here but that doesn't make them an ugly loathsome animal.



Yeah i fully agree with you, to me its more of a hate of them being here not the individual animal or species. Cat, fox, pig, toad or whatever it should to be killed humanely or kept away from our wildlife. Learning more about toads is actually a good thing IMO.


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## zulu (Feb 8, 2007)

*re Cane*



boa said:


> Cris, I kept one many years ago in the UK back when they were referred to as Marine Toads. They actually are pretty easy to keep and are incredibly hardy. I kill everyone I see but don't consider them evil or ugly or disgusting and I take absolutely no pleasure in killing them.
> The fact that you keep one will have zero affect on the wildlife of Queensland.


 Yeh theres far too many,i used to slaughter them when i found them but theres just too many and you start to give up,they take some killing too and its extremely cruel when there half dead.Such a negative thing trying to wipe out cane toads in QLD when you think of the enormous amount of money,expertise and hard work the authorities have brought to bare in establishing the populations in the first place


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

RevDaniel said:


> kill them all. Kidding. I do not know the legalities of it but with a warmer temperature i think they would be easy enough to care for. Try to avoid licking the backs. Not cool



are you speaking from expeirience? :lol: 
Some idiots actually do use them for their drugs. They arnt the same as others and their toxins are far more destructive than psychoactive, well thats what i read anyway.


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## moosenoose (Feb 8, 2007)

cris said:


> In QLD they are not a declared pest, please read my first post.



Whahahahahahahaa TYPICAL backwards Queensland!  :lol:


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## Horsy (Feb 8, 2007)

> Whahahahahahahaa TYPICAL backwards Queensland!



Hey QLD lets me keep my AHGs so don't you go complaining -shakes fist-.

I personally don't like Cane Toads but am very much siding with Cris on this one. I know from experience the crap you can get when you keep a pest animal. Each to their own! 
As other's have said, I don't think it'll be hard to keep them. They strive here so just try mimic your backyard. Moist dirt or potting mix, a little hide and a pond of some sort. What sort of enclosure size would you need, I wonder.


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## zulu (Feb 8, 2007)

*re Cane*



moosenoose said:


> Whahahahahahahaa TYPICAL backwards Queensland!  :lol:


They are not a declared pest that way they havent stuffed up and they can get Knighthoods and stuff,they probably still have feeding centres and health monitoring up there to see how successful the introduction is going


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## whiteyluvsrum (Feb 8, 2007)

give yourself an uppercut cris, and think about it, and continue uppercutting untill you gain the hatred back for the cane toad.


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## Jen (Feb 8, 2007)

get one as a tadpole and see how big you can get it! awesome idea, they seem to be pretty docile, if little kids can dress them in dolls clothes, so they might make a 'good' pet, keep us posted


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

whiteyluvsrum said:


> give yourself an uppercut cris, and think about it, and continue uppercutting untill you gain the hatred back for the cane toad.



:lol: its not like im going to keep a kiwi or something, i will keep killing them and stopping them from breeding as much as i can(they are a fairly rare site in my yard and ponds). Also I grew out of uppercutting myself a few years ago :lol:


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## Adzo (Feb 8, 2007)

Funny. A cane toad isn't a pest but the native(sort off, been here longer than man) dingo is.


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## whiteyluvsrum (Feb 8, 2007)

cris said:


> :lol: its not like im going to keep a kiwi or something, i will keep killing them and stopping them from breeding as much as i can(they are a fairly rare site in my yard and ponds). Also I grew out of uppercutting myself a few years ago :lol:



sounds like you need to get the guns back, because there's still some growing to do!


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## cris (Feb 8, 2007)

Jen said:


> get one as a tadpole and see how big you can get it! awesome idea, they seem to be pretty docile, if little kids can dress them in dolls clothes, so they might make a 'good' pet, keep us posted



Yeah that was the basic plan, i want to see if i can get one over 4kg(current record i think) and learn as much as i can on the way. I would encourage others to do the same if they live in their existing range.


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## nickvelez (Feb 9, 2007)

when they get to a good size - crispy fried toad legs?


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## whiteyluvsrum (Feb 9, 2007)

fake!


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## Bryony (Feb 9, 2007)

This is a good start on the information you need.
http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/canetoad.htm


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## Bryony (Feb 9, 2007)

Adzo said:


> Funny. A cane toad isn't a pest but the native(sort off, been here longer than man) dingo is.


Actually the pure breeds of dingo are not considered a pest and are only found on Frazer Island.
They only hunt for food that has minimal effort and maximum nutrients/engery

The 'pest' dingos are the ones that have cross bred with our domesticated canines (the ones gone wild) Domesticated dogs that have gone wild have also been held responsible for most livestock and wild animal attacks.


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## Aussie Python Lover (Feb 9, 2007)

speaking of the filthy lil buggas i was up late last nite bout 1:30 this morning trying to get one no joke the size of a mini rugby ball i heard it under my window i was like hmmm that aint no green tree frog so went on a murder death kill search of this lil bugga in my bonds tank and undies at 1:30 in the morning do you think i could catch it pmsl NO!!!!!!!!


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## waruikazi (Feb 9, 2007)

The problem i see with keeping a cane toad is that it will develop, in some people, empathy for the wretched little mongrels. Think about what might happen if a family who lives in qld with their three kids, each with a beloved pet cane toad and they move to somewhere like Portheadland where there are no cane toads yet. Or when kids start thinkning they are all so cute and cuddly and wonderful pets so when they see one hopping around they let it go.

In Darwin we are currently seeing what happens to the native wildlife as new cane toad populations establish themselves. These are an animal that need to be hated to help control their spread.


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## Aussie Python Lover (Feb 9, 2007)

and to think they brought it in the stop the locust plague in qld there is one animal that can kill a cane toad and they not be affect by there venom is the wolf spider plus theres also a bird too but they need to find something that will kill the cane toads but not anything else they are ruining natures wildlife.....


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## warren63 (Feb 9, 2007)

Cris, you probably have your own unlimited supply but if you run short i will send a couple bucket full of toads you way. Dont think they would be that hard to keep as from what ive seen anything that fits in their mouht is food, notice in winter they go m.i.a so probably assume some type of heating is needed in the cooler months. If they get any injuries just dont use dettol on them LOL


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## nvenm8 (Feb 9, 2007)

cris,
I would perhaps reconsider your decision, not for any other reason other than * why risk loosing your license* and your collection.
You know there may not be an actual reference pertaining to the keeping of toads, But i bet my lefty that if you had a surprise inspection pulled by parks and wildlife and they found you keeping a toad i reckon they would find something a way to make life uncomfortable.
And they do do surprise inspections! Been there had that.


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## moosenoose (Feb 9, 2007)

whiteyluvsrum said:


> fake!




Yes it is!! Here is the real one!


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## zulu (Feb 9, 2007)

*re cane*



Adzo said:


> Funny. A cane toad isn't a pest but the native(sort off, been here longer than man) dingo is.


Your jibbering Adzo, LOL The cane toads were introduced by the QLD department of agriculture and the cane growers association in consultation with other government bodys such as the CSIRO,they were sourced from Hawaii.


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## cris (Feb 9, 2007)

nvenm8 said:


> cris,
> I would perhaps reconsider your decision, not for any other reason other than * why risk loosing your license* and your collection.
> You know there may not be an actual reference pertaining to the keeping of toads, But i bet my lefty that if you had a surprise inspection pulled by parks and wildlife and they found you keeping a toad i reckon they would find something a way to make life uncomfortable.
> And they do do surprise inspections! Been there had that.



If i decide to keep one i would get something in writing to cover my as. I already have something from DPI&F that says there is no problem with them at that level. I still have to check with the council too, but i doubt they would have anything against it. Im sure no ranger would have a problem if i explained the situation.

I have empathy for toads and all other animals(even cats) already thats why i kill them humanely, although you do have a point Gordon, maybe ppl should only keep them if they are a person who has respect for our ecosystem.

Its slightly of topic but i found a good way to humanely kill them when you dont have a large stick or airgun on hand, you just grab their foot and wack their heads on the ground as you would to kill a rat, it kills them instantly and if their back is facing the ground you dont have to worry about getting poison in your eye.


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## Adzo (Feb 9, 2007)

Dingo are considered a pest in Queensland, it is illegal to have one as a pet. Pure bred or otherwise. I looked into it a year or two ago.
I understand why cane toads were introduced, it was cris is posted that they are legal to keep.


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## whiteyluvsrum (Feb 9, 2007)

Aussie Python Lover said:


> and to think they brought it in the stop the locust plague in qld there is one animal that can kill a cane toad and they not be affect by there venom is the wolf spider plus theres also a bird too but they need to find something that will kill the cane toads but not anything else they are ruining natures wildlife.....



crows have learnt to flip them over and eat through the belly and avoid the poison glands.


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## moosenoose (Feb 9, 2007)

Adzo said:


> Dingo are considered a pest in Queensland, it is illegal to have one as a pet. Pure bred or otherwise. I looked into it a year or two ago.
> I understand why cane toads were introduced, it was cris is posted that they are legal to keep.



Ummm I find that incredibly hard to believe??? Can you please post some evidence to suggest otherwise.

Cheers.


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## whiteyluvsrum (Feb 9, 2007)

do you have rabbits mixed up with dingo's?


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## Retic (Feb 9, 2007)

It is illegal to keep Dingoes up here but not sure if it is because they are classed as a pest, I would be surprised. I understood they were protected ?


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## Adzo (Feb 9, 2007)

The 2nd heading "Purebred dingoes in danger"
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/unconventionalpets/a/dingonotdirty.htm


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## Adzo (Feb 9, 2007)

http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/pests/pest_animals/declared/index.html
Sorry we're off topic. The same website also has this on toads. http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/pests/pest_animals/non_declared/cane_toad.html


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## moosenoose (Feb 9, 2007)

Well, I think this has cooked your goose Cris :lol:




> Unless you have a permit, it is an offence under the Act to:
> 
> introduce a pest animal to the state
> feed a declared pest animal
> ...



Thanks for the info Adzo, although I still find it hard to believe the dingo classed as a pest. Again - bloody Queensland!


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## Adzo (Feb 9, 2007)

moosenoose said:


> Thanks for the info Adzo, although I still find it hard to believe the dingo classed as a pest. Again - bloody Queensland!


 
Sad, I know. They are my fav canines.


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## Retic (Feb 9, 2007)

I can't see the problem, I keep loads of Cane Toads, free range in the front yard pool.


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## gumleaf (Mar 6, 2007)

moosenoose thats hilarious!!!!


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## chic parma (Mar 20, 2007)

why would you want to keep a cane toad, it is quite possibly the
ugliest looking amphibian, and the poison glands and thier back
look like shoulder pads.


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## cris (Mar 20, 2007)

chic parma said:


> why would you want to keep a cane toad, it is quite possibly the
> ugliest looking amphibian, and the poison glands and thier back
> look like shoulder pads.



Im must admit i dont keep herps because i find them attractive, but what ever floats your boat i guess :shock: :lol:

Why keep one? to learn about them. I dont seem to be learning much by bashing their heads into the ground, but if i keep one i can learn about them. Im also interested in designing traps and other control measures.

I havnt got one yet either, its hard to find little ones when you keep killing all the adults.

Also if anyone knows of any existing laws that would make keeping 1 in Brisbane illegal, please let me know.


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## pythoness (Mar 20, 2007)

took out a massive one victor style the other day, completely by accident i assure you, but still,, i felt no guilt.


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## cris (Mar 20, 2007)

pythoness said:


> took out a massive one victor style the other day, completely by accident i assure you, but still,, i felt no guilt.



yeah mowers work good, but what happened to your bleeding heart, im shocked :lol:


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## cement (Mar 20, 2007)

For traps, especially in winter, i would try those black poly pits, in the ground and with some warmth. i used to find heaps of em in the telecom pit at the front of my house in winter.
If their all in the one spot makes it easier to round up and exterminate.


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## pythoness (Mar 20, 2007)

cris said:


> yeah mowers work good, but what happened to your bleeding heart, im shocked :lol:


lol, only bleeds at blatent cruelty to any animal, including nasty old toads, this was very quick and done by accident with no malise i assure you lol.


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## slim6y (Mar 20, 2007)

Sorry I haven't read all your posts or many others. I just want to ask one question about whether or not they even need to appear on the license. The frog keeping license thing is pretty particular, but I don't think it goes with the toads. I must admit I do not know, but... Would it be any different from keeping an AHG or even an Australian Co.ckroach? The latter of which are introduced despite their name!

I think there is no better way to defeat your enemy than to know your enemy. And I agree, they have fascinated me ever since I moved to Cairns. 

I have captured and killed as many as I can on my property, they're almost becoming rare!

Keeping them... I can't see me doing it... And it's not because of my dislike of them, because I do like them, it's just the pain of haing to feed them every night. 

Ever though of just leaving them outside, in a cage, with a pond or something, and just keeping a UV type light on above them to attract the insects? Kind of like a toad pit hehe... I would like to do that, but more with green tree frogs perhaps... It's just keeping them in that's the problem... 

Well, let us know (if you haven't already) how you go with this venture...

if it's not illegal to keep them, then it can't be illegal to sell them.. wanna buy some Wrights Creek cane toads  (throw ya in a couple of AHGs!!!)


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## slim6y (Mar 20, 2007)

PS - For those people who kill the cane toads, good work, keep it up, but please remove all dead cane toads, wrap them responsibley and discard them so they DO NOT get eaten when they're dead. They're equally as poisonous when dead as when alive.

Thank you for your consideration


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## cris (Mar 20, 2007)

slim6y said:


> Sorry I haven't read all your posts or many others. I just want to ask one question about whether or not they even need to appear on the license. The frog keeping license thing is pretty particular, but I don't think it goes with the toads. I must admit I do not know, but... Would it be any different from keeping an AHG or even an Australian Co.ckroach? Not on a state level but im not sure about national and local laws, they are not a protected native species so the regulations for native herps dont apply
> 
> Keeping them... I can't see me doing it... And it's not because of my dislike of them, because I do like them, it's just the pain of haing to feed them every night.
> Feeding them is no real problem they will eat dry dog food and anything else meaty, more so if it moves i remember one eating a ping pong ball in a documentry.
> ...



The only problem with ppl keeping them is that someone could decide they like them and may not want to wipe them out, this is mentioned earlier in the thread and its a valid point but not an issue for me.


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## slim6y (Mar 20, 2007)

Wrights Creek Cane Toads are the evolutionists of cane toads... They have intelligence that I have not seen amongst toads before. They come out to hunt... do the usual, if I stand still you can't see me... But... Always, they run towards the house no matter where they are... Even if they have to go away from the house first they always head back again. It's as though they plan their route when under attack. If their is two or more they can manipulate you by crossing their paths several times. 

Unfortunately for them, my techniques just keep getting better at trapping them.

So you want dull, lifeless cane toads, go with anyone of the,... want clever witty cane toads, go with the Wrights Creek Variety, at $250 each they're a steal! But for you Cris, i will elt you come and collect a couple from my breeding stock for free!


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## PhilK (Mar 20, 2007)

I swerve for them with ym car. Mmmm satisfying.


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