Cane Toad (Juvenile)

Description:

Rhinella marinus syn. Rhinella marina (formerly Bufo marinus) (Linnaeus, 1758), called Cane Toad, Giant Neotropical Toad or Marine Toad, of order Anura, family Bufonidae, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean. The cane toad is a prolific breeder; females lay single-clump spawns with thousands of eggs. Its reproductive success is partly because of opportunistic feeding: it has a diet, unusual among anurans, of both dead and living matter. They have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years in the wild, and can live considerably longer in captivity. The skin of the cane toad is dry and warty. It has distinct ridges above the eyes, which run down the snout. Individual cane toads can be grey, yellowish, red-brown or olive-brown, with varying patterns. A large parotoid gland lies behind each eye. The ventral surface is cream-coloured and may have blotches in shades of black or brown. The pupils are horizontal and the irises golden. The toes have a fleshy webbing at their base, and the fingers are free of webbing. Typically, the juvenile cane toad have smooth, dark skin, although some specimens have a red wash. Juveniles lack the adults' large parotoid glands, so they are usually less poisonous. A juvenile is much smaller than the adult cane toad at 5-10cm long. Adults average 10-15cm (3.9–5.9 in) in length. This juvenile cane toad spotting has about 6-8cm body length.

Habitat:

Backyard.

Notes:

The cane toad was first introduced deliberately into the Philippines in 1930 as a biological control agent of pests in sugarcane plantations. This was done after the 'success' of the experimental introductions into Puerto Rico. It subsequently became the most ubiquitous amphibian in the islands. It still retains the common name of kamprag in the Visayan languages, a corruption of 'American frog', referring to its origins. It is also commonly known as 'bullfrog' in Philippine English. (Wikipedia)