Army Sent to Fight Millions of Invading Toxic Toads

Reporter writes "The Australian state government called for the army to be deployed against the invasion of toxic toads! Battalions of imported cane toads are marching relentlessly across northern Australia and the West Australian government wants soldiers to intercept the environmental barbarians. From the article: "The toads, Bufo Marinus, were introduced from South America into northeast Queensland state in the 1930s to control another pest: Beetles that were ravaging the sugar cane fields of the tropical northern coasts. But the toads now number in the millions and are spreading westward through the Northern Territory, upsetting the country's ecosystem in their wake. Cane toads have poisonous sacs on the back of their heads full of a venom so powerful it can kill crocodiles, snakes or other predators in minutes." More information about cane toads at Wikipedia."

Biological warfare

[nuggz]

This is an example of what can happen if you use biological means to control a situation.

There tends to be an unintended consequence, which often may be much worse than the origional affliction.

Although I hope they think carefully about this type of behaviour in the future, I doubt it.
The biological ideas they're coming up with to fight drugs in the US are much scarier than a few million frogs.

Re:Very Little Information

[Tx]

Well, politicians like to be seen to be doing something, and nothing sends out the "we're in charge and on the case" message like sending in the army.

Still I'm sure they have some idea how the army would be used. Locally deployed poison?

Re:A solution

[EnderGT]

I'm pretty sure the parent poster was being more than a little sarcastic...

Re:Very Little Information

[Red Flayer]

it's easier to use a trap or target the nests

Nests? Of toads? Now you're really scaring me, if they've evolved parenting.

The white paper is probably spot-on: Kill the adults, destroy the eggs. Lather, rinse, repeat for each breeding cycle.

It might cost a lot, but it is possible. The most expensive part will be eradicating isolated resevoirs of breeding populations.

As to what you do after you trap them: make fertilizer out of them.

Re:Very Little Information

[mspohr]

In the USA, we're sending the army to stop people crossing our southern border. This will be about as useful as Australia sending their army to stop the toads.

Idiot politicians will reap big benefits for "doing something" about the problem from the idiot voters (in case you couldn't tell, "idiot voters" are in the majority in the USA).

Re:So hungry...

[tekiegreg]

Mr. AC makes a subtle point. For example there are Spiders out there that produce enough poison to kill humans, yet have Wasps as natural predators who are immune to Spider Bites, we quite well could be resistant or immune to Cane Toad Venom as well. All the same don't expect me to go around eating Cane Toads...

Re:So hungry...

[Schraegstrichpunkt]

we quite well could be resistant or immune to Cane Toad Venom as well

We are resistant to cane toad venom. Our adaptation is specifically the ability to be smart enough not to ingest the stuff.

Do *not* fire a 22 bullet in populated areas

[vinn01]

A 22 slug can travel a hell of a lot farther then you think. A .22LR rifle can put a bullet a mile away. You could fire at a toad and hit a kid down the road.

If you want to kill a toad with a 22, use "snake shot". That is tiny pellets in a 22 cartridge.

Why fight nature? Get rid of the dog and make pets of the toads?

Re:Do *not* fire a 22 bullet in populated areas

[bmk67]

A 22 slug can travel a hell of a lot farther then you think. A .22LR rifle can put a bullet a mile away. You could fire at a toad and hit a kid down the road.

If you want to kill a toad with a 22, use "snake shot". That is tiny pellets in a 22 cartridge.

Why fight nature? Get rid of the dog and make pets of the toads?

If I'm shooting at a toad on the ground four feet in front of me, it's not going to put the bullet a mile away or in the kid down the road, even if I miss, as it's going to be stopped by the best backstop known to man - planet Earth. A .22LR is only going to "put a bullet a mile away" (and I *seriously* doubt that claim) if you fire it at approximately a 45 degree angle to the ground. Which, incidentally, is why it's an insanely bad idea to hunt birds using a rifle - notwithstanding that it's incredibly difficult to hit a flying target with one. Though the next time I'm hunting poisonous flying toads, I'll consider your advice.

For you to "hit the kid down the road" you've got the violate at least two of the three fundamental rules of firearms safety - and if you're that stupid and careless, you shouldn't be allowed to feed yourself much less own and operate a firearm.

Ok, smartass comments aside - provided you are competent enough to handle a firearm at all, snakeshot is a great idea - unless you live in an area where it's not safe to discharge a firearm, it's probably not legal either, even with snakeshot. For those of you who live in such areas, I'd recommend a pellet gun or slingshot - provided you're competent to be handling dangerous weapons at all - for the rest of you, may I suggest a nerf bat?