Cane toads are voracious feeders that consume a wide variety of insects, frogs, small reptiles, mammals and even birds. Cane Toad spawn is unique in Australia. They are smaller (less than 3.5 cm long) than most native tadpoles and often gather in huge numbers in shallow water. Reproduction of Cane Toad.

A cane toad's cardiotoxin proved deadly for this young carpet python.

Despite the best efforts of governments trying to eradicate the cane toad, the animals keep spreading, often attaining a dominant ecological niche because of their bufotoxin. The cane toad is poisonous at all stages of its life cycle and most native frog larvae and many aquatic invertebrates are dramatically affected by their presence. The eggs, on fertilization look more blackish in color and smaller in size. The males also contribute in order to get the eggs matured. Cane toads extends were deliberately introduced to Australia from Hawaii in 1935 to control scarab beetles which were pests of sugar cane. (Supplied: Pamela Gray) "They're definitely holding the line east of the Pacific Highway," he said. The eggs undergo external fertilization.

There are an astounding 8000 – 35000 eggs in each such clutter. We evaluated the environmental correlates of the cane toad’s ... that novel ecological conditions in the absence of native species interactions have facilitated a broader realized niche or that toad populations at the invasion front have evolved a greater tolerance to extreme abiotic conditions. Cane Toad tadpoles are shiny black on top and have a plain dark belly and a short thin tail. Perhaps the only limiting factor to the prey taken is the width of the cane toad’s mouth. The cane toad (Rhinella marina), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad native to South and mainland Central America, but which has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean, as well as Northern Australia.It is the world's largest toad. The females usually lay a clutter of jelly like eggs. A female cane toad can lay up to 33,000 eggs at one time, in long stringy clumps. It is laid in long strings of transparent jelly enclosing double rows of black eggs. Life Cycle of Cane Toad.