Bufo Toad
An email from Ryan:
"I am not sure if other people in Seminole Heightshave come across them, but last night we found a Bufomarinus (marine toad) in our back yard. He got away before we could catch and freeze him. Why worry and why kill? They secrete a toxin that can and will kill dogs and cats. Also, they are non-native and increasing their population. They are found fromTampa south. I spend a lot of time in the swamps and woods of Florida and was yet to see one. Please do your part and remove these toads if you see them. The toads were spotted in the 1000 block of Emma andChelsea. The toad in my yard was a female and youcould hear the male calling from a yard behind, which is fenced. The male call is a very loud, slow trillthat sounds like a tractor in the distance. The following link has additional information: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW046."
From that website:
The Marine toad is also commonly called Giant toad, Bufo toad, and Cane toad.
Marine toad vs. Southern toad: How to tell the differenceIf you see a toad that you suspect might be a Marine toad, keep in mind that it could also be a Southern toad, which is native to Florida and is harmless to pets (they just taste bad, but are not poisonous). Take a look at photos and information about these two species at our Web site called "Frogs and Toads of Florida" at http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/frogs/default.htm . In addition, here are some specific tips for telling the difference between these two toad species.
Comparing the Marine toad to the Southern toad
The most obvious difference is in ADULT size (in length of body, not counting legs).
Adult Giant toads can be bigger than your fist (6-9 inches), much larger than any toad or frog that is native to Florida.
Adult Southern toads grow to a maximum of about 3.6 inches. So, once a toad is larger than 4 inches, it is safe to assume it is a Giant toad.
Other differences:
The Marine toad has large bumps on each side of neck (parotid glands) that angle downward onto the shoulders. The Marine toad lacks ridges or knobs on the head.
By comparison, the Southern toad has smaller parotid glands that are positioned parallel to, and close to, the spine. Also, the Southern toad has two short ridges ("cranial crests") that start between the eyes and often end in bulbous knobs. These ridges are also parallel to the spine.
Other Bufo species in Florida:
There are two other species of toads in Florida that are in the Bufo genus: Fowler's toad (Bufo fowleri) and Oak toad (Bufo quercicus ). Both are native to Florida and are harmless to pets and wild animals. For pictures and information about frogs and toads in Florida, visit our Web site at http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/frogs/default.htm .
How to Help Your Pet if Exposed to Marine Toad Toxin
FIRST, remember that all native toads have glands on their skin that contain MILD toxins that just taste nasty to a predator or make a predator a little sick after they try to eat a toad. The strategy for the mild toxin is to "educate" (not kill) the predator, so it will be discouraged from trying to eat a toad again. This mild toxin usually causes excessive salivation (foaming at mouth or drooling), but that is the extent of it. It is not poisonous. However, you can still follow the directions below for rinsing your pet's mouth -- just to be on the safe side.
So, why is the non-native Marine toad's toxin so dangerous? The Marine toad is NOT NATIVE to Florida and the wild animals here are not adapted to its toxin, that's why the toxin can be lethal to small animals and pets.
From FloridaGardener.com
14 comments:
I think the rain brought the Bufos out in force. Lake Roberta and the area around it was full of them yesterday and their calls were so loud they drowned out the traffic noise from Nebraska Ave.
We had a Cuban Tree Frog running around our yard last week. You're supposed to euthanize them, I guess, since they eat native frogs and lizards but they aren't a danger to pets. But I'll be honest and say we didn't kill the bugger. He seems to have moved on.
ugh... we have them all. With all the water elements in the yard, we are over run with frogs of all kinds. Every summer we get the Giant toads (I'm sorry, but I can't kill them, or freeze them.) We also have the tree frogs with the suction feet. We have had so many move in and live behind our porch light fixtures in the back. The crap all down the side of the house. It has gotten so bad, i had to buy spray insulation, Now I will have to take a day and scrape the insualtion and repaint.
Is there an easier way to get rid of them without putting them in the freezer?
SL
you can run over them and make wallpaper toads out of them........take a drive around Lake Roberta and you will see what I mean!
I have often thought they should be nailed to the side of the garage like the 20 year old license plates!
Freezing is the most humane way to terminate their lives. Put them in a grocery bag, freeze them, and toss them in the trash the night before pickup.
You could also squish them with a shovel. They inflate, though, and the shovel might bounce off and only scar them up a bit. A brick could only graze it and take out an eye or leg. Then it'd be maimed and in pain. Salt wouldn't work and magnifying glasses take too long on cloudy days. I've found it hard to get them to stand still for the truck to pass over; they tend to move out of the way. The dog would kill them--then die himself. Tossing them up on a hot roof might sound good, especially if you have a two-story with no easy escape. But they'd either roast and toast up there, smelling up many a Summer BBQ, or fall off and flop around with injuries looking warty and pitiful.
If only they made good fried frogs legs. The Front Porch could sell them as "chicken wings" and charge $8 for 10.
Better yet, you could introduce a prettier and more interesting amphibian species like Poison Arrow Frogs or Golden Rain Frogs. You could give them a good deal on the property because right now it’s only occupied by the lowly Bufo toad. Those colorful little frogs are probably all gay, and you know what that means…They’ll use their D.I.N.T. status (dual income, no tadpoles) to invest in the yard and pretty soon they’ll have made a nice little neighborhood. These exotic and industrious pioneers will soon be joined by the more pedestrian varieties of American tree frogs and common toads that will do their part to make their world a better place. The Bufos will no longer be welcome to lay around licking themselves into a fat, lazy, hallucinogenic stupor. Between the constant harassment from Toad Enforcement and the skyrocketing property values, the Bufos will gradually move on to a less desirable yard. Unfortunately, with the Bufos no longer a target of their wrath, the frogs will unleash their deadly poisons on each other in the form of snarky blog comments and unwarranted calls to Toad Enforcement. The amphibian utopia will crumble, leaving only the smartly appointed dwellings of the little gay frogs. The Bufos will return, and the cute little frog houses will become unkempt dens of iniquity once again.
When they came for the Bullfrogs,
I remained silent;
I was not a Bullfrog.
When they locked up the Spring Peepers,
I remained silent;
I was not a Spring Peeper.
When they came for the Puerto Rican Coqui,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Puerto Rican Coqui.
When they came for the Oriental Firebellied Toad,
I did not speak out;
I was not an Oriental Firebellied Toad.
When they came for me,
there was no one left who knew what a Tanzanian Screeching Frog was.
Have you been licking Bufos again?
Nice change of post!
So what youre saying is that in the future the invasives aka illegal immigrants will take over and that they dont keep up their properties? So all our efforts for gentrification are for naught?
Snarkasim at it's finest.
What a gross re-rendering of the poem by Martin Niemoller written during the Holocaust. I think you, Mr. Whisperer, take the non-PC blog comment of the week.
It is Kenny again. I knew he was into that crap. Are you saying Toad Enforcement are Nazi's?
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These toads have been around for years. At least the past four that I know of for sure on Idlewild all the way down to 19th street. We kill them everytime we see them. The dogs bark all night at them and unfortunately try to get them only to get a dose of toxin. Not good.
Cane toads are bad news. Photos of some native toads can be found here:
native toads
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