Cane toad cocktail to protect NT animals

[depakid]

It will hurt like a bad hangover and hopefully have the same effect by resorting to aversion therapy.

Scientists will use a stomach-turning chemical combined with mashed cane toads to deter an array of Top End animals from munching on the warty pests. "Native predators are actually pretty capable of learning to avoid cane toads if given the chance," said University of Sydney's Professor Rick Shine.

"We're learning about ways to educate the predators in advance of the toad front in ways that will help them survive once the toad has already arrived."

In the past, scientists have tried to combat the threat cane toads pose to local wildlife by reducing their numbers. "It's hard to do and it's clear that the toad is by and large winning the battle," Prof Shine told ABC radio in Darwin on Monday.

"The invasion front toads are all very big guys, so they've got a lot of poison, so the first toad you meet if you're a goanna is almost bound to a big one and it's almost bound to be your last meal." As the marauding toads continue their toxic march west across Australia, Prof Shine said researchers were now working on a two-pronged plan of attack.

"If we give these predators exposure to a small toad that is big enough to make them sick but not big enough to kill them, then we've discovered they learn very rapidly that toads are a bad idea," he said.

The other option is to feed animals such as crocodiles and goannas with a mixture of toad bits and a poison to make them "desperately nauseous". (This will) convince predators that anything that looks and smells and tastes at all like a toad is a good thing to avoid ...

"It's kind of like giving your kid a jab of something so that when they encounter something much worse later on they'll be able to survive it."

More: http://news.theage.com.au/national/cane-toad-cocktail-to-protect-nt-animals-20081208-6tyh.html