Invasive Toxic Cane Toad Population Near Resort in Florida Hunted Down By Man with BB Gun

(Photo : Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
A man with a BB gun took down over 100 invasive cane toads in Florida.

Near a Florida resort, a man with a BB gun has been eradicating the toxic and invasive cane toad population.

Battle Against an Invasive Species in Florida

Officials warned neighbors to keep an eye out for cane toads since the toxins those reptiles discharge can be fatal to animals.

One Tampa resident is taking action to ensure safety in a Lutz neighborhood. Joshua Hughes runs a pressure cleaning company during the day, but at night he started cane toad hunting.

Hughes said that he had been warned of a major cane toad invasion on this pond.

The pond surrounding Encore Winter Quarters Pasco RV Resort was populated by dozens of poisonous toads.

Hughes decided to go hunting after purchasing a BB gun and a flashlight.

Hughes claimed to have killed 60 of the invasive cane toads in one hour on his first night, as well as more than 100 in the past three months.

Toxic and Can Hurt Pets

Invasive cane toads are a problem in Florida. He claimed that freezing the toads before killing them is a more humane option, but he was short on freezer capacity.

There are roughly 120 invasive cane toads that Hughes has killed when all of his kills are added up.

The cane toads have no conservation status in Florida and can be removed or killed humanely, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This is because they release poison via glands on their back. Both humans and pets can be killed by the poison.

In Westchase, a pet dog was rushed to the clinic last month after her owners discovered her in distress in the backyard following a cane toad poisoning. Given that animals can pass away within 15 minutes of consuming the toad's toxins, the dog is lucky to still be alive.

Dogs can become poisoned by toads when they are exposed to the toxins they emit, according to VCA Animal Hospitals. Most cane toad contact in the United States only causes mild symptoms in pets, and most toad licking or eating causes salivation vomiting, and mouth irritation.

According to FWC, consistently mowing grass and maintaining a short lawn will help a property become less alluring to cane toads, WTSP10 Tampa Bay reports.

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Invasive Cane Toad

A big, non-native amphibian that has been imported into Florida is the cane toad, which is additionally known as the bufo, gigantic, or marine toad. Except for anti-cruelty legislation, cane toads are not protected in Florida; with the owner's permission, they can be taken off private property at any time and humanely killed. It is impossible to transport and release collected cane toads.

The reddish-brown to grayish-brown bodies of cane toads, which also have light-yellow or beige bellies, can be uniform in color or have darker markings all over them.

The glands behind their eyes are larger and slant down toward their shoulders. A strong milky-white toxin known as bufotoxin is secreted by the glands as a kind of defense against predators, including domestic pets, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.