Australia’s cane toads evolved as cannibals with frightening speed

NEWS 25 August 2021 Australia’s cane toads evolved as cannibals with frightening speed Study finds that the noxious pests have become so numerous, they’ve developed a taste for each other —

as well as defences to ward off such attacks. By Max Kozlov Max Kozlov View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

Twitter Facebook Email Access through your institution Buy or subscribe The list of ‘deadly animals in Australia’ just got a little weirder. The cane toad, a toxic, invasive species

notorious for devouring anything it can fit in its mouth — household rubbish, small rodents and even birds — has become highly cannibalistic in the 86 years since it was introduced to the

continent, according to a new study. Its counterpart in South America, where cane toads originated, is far less cannibalistic.

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Nature 597, 19-20 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02317-9

References DeVore, J. L. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 118, e2100765118 (2021).

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

DeVore, J. L., Crossland, M. R., and R. Shine. Ecol. Monogr. 91, e01426 (2020).

Article  Google Scholar 

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