Group captures dog-sized 2-pound, 15-inch poisonous cane toad

[Cannikin]

DARWIN, Australia - An environmental group said Tuesday it had captured a “monster” toad the size of a small dog.

With a body the size of a football and weighing nearly 2 pounds, the toad is among the largest specimens ever captured in Australia, according to Frogwatch coordinator Graeme Sawyer.

Frogwatch, which is dedicated to wiping out a toxic toad species that has killed countless Australian animals, picked up the 15-inch-long cane toad during a raid on a pond outside the northern city of Darwin late Monday.

‘Sensational fertilizer’
As part of its so-called “Toad Buster” project, Frogwatch conducts regular raids on local water holes, blinding the toads with bright lights then scooping them up by the dozen.

“We kill them with carbon dioxide gas, stockpile them in a big freezer and then put them through a liquid fertilizer process” that renders the toads nontoxic, Sawyer said.

“It turns out to be sensational fertilizer,” he added.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17809210/

[Random_Australian]

1. That's not good at all. You couldn't hit that with a sledge!

(Well, you could, but it would not be painless like it is for the normal ones)

DEATH TO CANE TOADS!

:) Yes, this may sound bloodthirsty, but it is nearly an Aussie motto for good reason. They kill everything the bastards.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. One of my Samoyeds was killed by a Colorado River Toad in Tucson, AZ in 1986.

She mouthed the toad and died. The saddest part was that we were moving from Tucson to Rochester, MN the next day.

[GoneOffShore]

3. I saw a documentary on cane toads

they are some sort of freak of nature.

And really scary. They frighten me more than rats. I'm glad I don't live in the outback.

[dropkickpa]

6. Was it the one

with the batshit crazy guy swerving all over the road in his van to hit them?

[GoneOffShore]

8. Yes, that's the one!

It made some sort of sick sense.

Cane toads seem to be one of natures mistakes.

[dropkickpa]

12. My HS bio teacher LOVED that one

We watched it at least once a semester. It was funny as hell! Remeber the little girl who played dress up with the toad she kept as a pet? I've been trying to find it since I graduated HS!

[GoneOffShore]

17. I saw it on PBS a couple of years ago

It haunted me.

Especially the guy with the truck. But I understood exactly why he was doing it.

As I said up down thread, cane toads are the Earthling equivalent of Vogons.

[Esra Star]

22. They are a native of South America. There they have

predators. Here, virtually no predators except humans.

[KiraBS]

4. One more deadly creature in Australia.....

n/t.

[mduffy31]

18. Yes but the kitty is cuter

[BikeWriter]

21. But no less ruinous to the ecology!

[Esra Star]

23. Feral cats in Australia kill way more wildlife than toads.

Even as household pets they are damaging.
We do need to get rid of cats as well.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. I think Australia needs to send Bush a pet as a gift...

:D

[swimboy]

7. Yeah, but can he sing the Michigan Rag?

:hi:

[Mad_Dem_X]

9. Why oh why did I click on this thread???

I knew there was going to be a picture! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

I fucking hate frogs/toads.

[Deja Q]

11. Because you thought it was about meeeeeeee?

:spray: :rofl:

[Deja Q]

10. Now that's a big toad!

[Esra Star]

24. Looks like a younger Arnold. Remember the puff-up pose.

[Rue]

13. They should put it in a zoo.

Seems kind of a waste to use such an impressive specimen as fertilizer :(

[GoneOffShore]

14. Ah, but it's still a cane toad,

the Earthling equilvalent of Vogons.

I'm not much on citing Wikipedia as a source but for fictional beings they're not too bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Races_and_Species_in_The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Vogons

[BreweryYardRat]

16. Cane Toads are incredibly poisonous.

If it got loose and one of the other animals ate it, the zoo would be out a valuable specimen...and one toad.

[Rue]

20. True. It would be unsafe.

I didn't think about that. Ah well, not like it was supposed to be in Australia in the first place.

[Pacifist Patriot]

15. I'll be damned. Looks like one of my college roommates.

[sasquatch]

19. Kill that motherfucker dead!

:headbang: