Read About the Amazing Cane Toad

by Aloniab Gezae, age 7

Cane toads are amphibians. They can be found in South and Central America, and in the Southwestern United States. They eat just about anything and they are poisonous!

A cane toad can grow up to ten inches long and weigh up to five pounds. The lifespan of a cane toad can be anywhere from 15 to 20 years, which is a very long time for an amphibian.

What makes cane toads so interesting? They use their own bodily fluids to protect themselves from being eaten by other, bigger animals.

This species of toad has moist skin that is covered in toxic ooze. This liquid is what protects the toads from being eaten by predators. Their backs have sacs filled with bulging, poisonous liquid that is very deadly to other wild animals.

Although this toad’s poison is deadly for animals, it can also be harmful to people. The toad’s toxic ooze will irritate human skin and can cause temporary blindness. These effects are very painful.

If a cane toad is ever hunted and attacked, it will spray its toxins from its gland to scare off any predator. Once a predator gets a taste of the liquid, it will die within a few minutes of the spray being released. There are a few animals however, that are immune to the poison spray. For example, the vampire bat is so immune to the toxin of the toad that it can even bite into the toad’s glands.

See how cool the cane toads are! These interesting amphibians have unique and special qualities. I hope you enjoyed reading about the cane toads.

[Sources: National Geographic Kids ; WWF.org ]