Coordinating collective efforts between Traditional Owners, government, universities, local authorities, natural resource management groups, industry, landowners, and the broader community, brings together a network of resources and expertise to provide WA’s native species the best chance of survival against cane toads. Whether you’re organising your own toad muster or looking for management advice on traps, the following information is an initial guide.
Cane toad traps
Commercially available cane toad traps utilise insect-attracting lights, calls, and water to attract cane toads. These traps are effective in reducing the number of toads in the immediate environment. However, they require daily monitoring to ensure their effectiveness.
In addition to cane toad traps, there are also commercially available tadpole traps specifically designed to target cane toad tadpoles. These traps can be used to remove cane toad tadpoles from water bodies without impacting on the tadpoles of other frog species. Tadpole traps provide a targeted solution for managing cane toad populations in small water bodies while minimising the impact on native frog species.
Contact our team to learn more about commercially available traps at canetoad@dbca.wa.gov.au.
Toad busting
While DBCA runs an annual toad muster every February in Kununurra, hand collection operations coordinated by other groups will help to manage toad numbers in small or enclosed areas such as a fenced park, small dam, wetland or back yard. The toads collected can also be used to make cane toad baits to help save the northern quoll as part of conditioned taste aversion training.
Hand collection needs to be done at least once a week during the wet season to be effective and works best if you have sufficient people involved.
More information can be found in the Cane Toad Management handbook below.
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Education resources
These resources are designed to help teachers educate students about understanding and addressing the issue of cane toads and fostering a sense of responsibility towards the protection of local ecosystems.
The lessons cover basic information about cane toads, including their appearance, diet, life cycle, and the negative impact they have on native wildlife. These resources will also assist teachers in educating students on what actions they can take to help control the threats posed by cane toads to our natural environment.
Key questions explored across all school grade levels include understanding what a cane toad is, how the species negatively impacts on native animals, and what can be done to help.
Kimberley Education manuals: Cane Toads Years 1-3
Kimberley Education manuals: Cane Toads Years 4-6
The DBCA’s cane toad team offers excursions and may be able to come to your school and run a lesson on cane toads. Please contact us on canetoads@dbca.wa.gov.au to find out more information about this opportunity.
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