Introduction
The existence of Cane toads in Australia has become a pertinent issue to the question of whether it propagates or impedes sustainability in the country. Various suggestions and views have been expressed from different quotas by the relevant theorists, researchers, and academicians. As such, it evokes various sustainability issues, including diversity, population increase, and predation among other aspects in the country. This paper will discuss the Cane Toads in relation to its advantages and shortcomings in the country’s sustainability quest. Evidently, the main focus of this discussion will be centered in Australia due to that fact that Cane Toads were introduced artificially to solve some pest-related issues in the agricultural sector.
Understandably, the Cane Toads were introduced to Australia in order to control the French and Grey beetle which were attacking the cane plantation in the country. However, it has been established that the toads have posed a great challenge to the existence of the native species that were found in the country originally. Whereas the toads were introduced to control the cane pests that impeded the successful growth and productivity of the plant in Australia, Isaacs (2010) noted that the new species was adapted in a better manner than the native ones. Biologically, it was established that the new species could feed on many types of prey, multiply in various breeding places, and envisage a higher fecundity measure than their counterparts in the country. In fact, the researchers consider them as opportunistic breeders that portray extremism when it comes to their breeding behaviors especially in warm waters and environments. Furthermore, they are tolerant to many environments regardless of the harsh conditions that might exist in the location of existence. As a result, they can occupy many habitats and hence compete with the natives for space. Accordingly, this raises a sustainability concern relating to the issue of the Cane Toads’ impacts on other species and especially the invertebrate community. This concern is reinforced by the fact that Cane Toads have poisonous defensive mechanisms that is used to suppress other species in the respective habitats (Isaacs, 2010). Researchers and scientists have experienced various cases whereby the predators, which have attempted to consume the Cane Toads, have dies as a result of the toxic substances released by this vertebrate. Although such reports have indicated this unfolding, there is little data regarding the quantities of predators that died as a result of the Cane Toads since their introduction in 1930.
Predation and Competition for Resources
It has been noted that Cane Toads have established large territories in Australia owing to their effective techniques of predation and the favorable adaptation to the environment. In essence, they use these features to colonize and consume large volumes of other vertebrates. For example, the White Larval type of this toad is described as a suspension eater that feeds on a wide range of vertebrates which dwell on the ground. Scientifically, it has been discovered that the Cane Toads consume about two hundred items of prey in a single night. This number surpasses the number of preys that native frogs consume every day. Importantly, the huge part of these vertebrates consumed by the Cane Toads includes the beetles, ants, and termites. In essence, researchers have established that the toad can eat anything that fits in the mouth space, including frogs, reptiles, and small mammals, and hence considered as a dangerous species to the country. This gives them the capability to compete favorably with other species in the environment for food and shelter. These factors of rapid multiplication, predation, and tolerance raise a critical issue to the coexistence of the toad with other species. In fact, it has been established that the toad cannot let the sustainment of diversity in the ecosystem. This is based on the fact that it does not only feed on wide range of prey, but it also suppresses potential competitors. In the worst case scenario, the toad does not have a predator to control its population. As such, its population increased without regulation and check. This is a real threat to sustainability in the environments and maintenance of a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Lethal Toxic Ingestion
It has been established that the Cane Toads have a very unique life cycle that envisages toxicity. In essence, the eggs of the Cane Toads, the emerging tadpoles, and the grown toads are all toxic in nature. The adult toad has venom which releases a poisonous substance that is responsible for the defensive and hunting capabilities used against the competitors and prey respectively. Physically, there are swellings on the shoulders where the toxic substances accumulate when the Cane Toads experience a danger that potentially envisages a threat to their lives (Maclean, 2009). When it is ingested in the body of other organisms, it causes rapid heartbeats, production of excess saliva from the respective glands, and convulsion of the victimized organism. In addition, the ultimate effect is the fatal paralysis of the entire body that combines with the other aspects to cause death. There is enough data concerning this field which shows the impacts of the anecdotal ingestion of this venom. The data shows critical reduction of the natives’ population due to the deaths arising as a result of the ingestion of this venom. In places where the studies and researches are conducted, they are pointing to the possible increment in the number of deaths. As such, the concerned authorities must come up with ways of controlling the Cane Toads.
Control of Pests
Although this discussion has portrayed the predator as major impediment to the propagation of sustainability, the toad is also responsible of positive balance in the environment. In South America, which is the location of origin, the toad was capable of controlling the beetles that feed on the roots of the canes (Maclean, 2009). This implies that its predation behavior enables the toad to control potential pests and can be used as a crucial control measure. However, it is evident that the toad can only jump and hop some few feet above the surface. Accordingly, it cannot feed on the pests and beetles that live on the stalks. This was the case in Australia whereby the toad could not eliminate the French and Grey beetle because they lived and affected the stalks.
Conclusion
In accordance to this essay, it is evident that the Cane Toad has turned to be a major shortcoming in Australia. Although it was introduced for a beneficial reason and intention, the nature of the beetles that affect the canes in the country cannot allow their control through the Cane Toad. As a result, the Cane Toad has started feeding on other invertebrates, increasing its population, and suppressing other predators and competitors. Due to these capabilities, it has impeded diversity in the ecosystem and can be regarded as an impending factor to sustainability. Clearly, it should be controlled in a manner to reduce its population and prevalence in Australia.
References
Isaacs, P. (2010). Diet of the Cane Toad in Different Vegetation Covers in the Productive Systems of the Colombian Coffee Region. South American Journal of Herpetology, 5(1), 45-50.
Maclean, M. (2009). Temporal release characteristics of cane toad parotoid gland secretions following benign electrical stimulation. Applied Herpetology, 6(4), 397-399.
