Cane Toad

Haha, teo2, I confess I was just a little nervous of getting up too close in front of him...

Thanks for the video link Rieko! I'll check it out.

Haha, Ihazapughappy, some people are only glad not to have Cane Toads around... 'Officially' they're considered a pest... especially apparently in Australia!

Your making me jealous! There are no cane toads where i live :(

Just seen your Cane Toad, Darius... Agreed: these critters can look really loveable! :-) This one too was waiting for us on our front porch when we came home from work.

Thanks so much for your comments Rieko, Darius and Ihazapughappy!

It looks like the video is not working. Can you try this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mvV8OT-m...

I posted this before, but I discovered very interesting videos about history of cane toads being exported to Australia to save canes which were destroying by the grubs. This video comes in 3 parts and the last portion of the video shows how the cane toads became a part of Australian culture. Here is the first video, explaining how and why the toads were exported from US to Australia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mvV8OT-m.........

I have a cane toad that lives in my front yard. Every night, like clockwork, she comes to my front porch for her nightly worm! She has really become my little (not so little) buddy. In fact, there was a span of about two weeks where she didn't show up at all and I got very worried that something had happened to her, but then, one night..........she returned!!! I was very happy. I will never understand why amphibians are so underrated. They are so loveable.

Lol, what a great face!

Haha, me too! Thanks for your comment Rieko! :-)

I will be afraid if this toad opens its mouth, and say something....

Thanks LandmarkExpert! :-)

wow...he is so amazingly dumb and cute at the same time! great spotting and thanks for sharing annvan!

Thanks for your comment Alice. Here it's always fairly warm, e.g. right now it's 10 in the evening and around 27 C.

Neil, thanks for the reassurance that this is a toad in fine fettle... Even if perhaps not in the best of moods, haha!

I don't know what the temperature's like where you are at the moment ann but they tend to be far more sluggish than usual when it's cold also

Just a case of the flu and Mondayitis, Ann, that's all. This one looks pretty normal. They're usually fairly sluggish during the day but liven up around dusk. He's got some good colouring. They can vary from a dark olive green to a goldy yellow. My older cats are like your dogs and know better than to tangle with these guys. My two youngest ones are still at the silly stage and are very curious about everything. They come inside at dusk (the cats) for dinner and they're in for the night. I still worry though. It just takes one encounter.....

Sorry to hear it Neil! Hope your day improves mightily! :-) Yeah, I'd heard Cane Toads are a terrible problem in Australia... The bad situation triggered by man tampering again with nature, hey...
Do you know much about how a Cane Toad should look? I was wondering if this one was looking a bit sick... He was a bit too still and a bit too yellow, even a bit 'flat-ish'... as though our clumsy rather hefty beagle had inadvertently sat on him?? (Our dogs are much too sensible to try to bite a chunk out of these creatures.) But about 30 mins later he perked up, and an hour or so later he'd hopped away.

Hahahaha, thanks for your comment Lauren! As long as no one feels like this toad looks after eating our meal, hey!! :-)

That's exactly how I feel today. Excellent photos, Ann. The DREADED CANE TOAD!!! They are a real danger in this country and kill everything they come in contact with. They are a massive problem. I don't hate them for being what they are, and in their own native environment I'm sure they are beautiful creatures (just look at that face). Any strong emotions I have are directed more at the people who imported them into this country, and like everything other creature that has been imported, they have upset the delicate natural balance. Sorry cane toad, it's nothing personal, but stay out of my yard. I can't afford to have you there under any circumstance!!!

Great shots Ann!

This is also how I feel about making dinner every day..... :)