NEWS.COM.AU (Australia) 30 April 06 Cane toads cop full-on assault (Rebekah Cavanagh)
Top End residents are already giving the cane toad invasion a hammering, an expert said yesterday.
Almost 800 of the pests have been taken alive to the Toad Detention Centre at Freds Pass in Darwin's rural area in the past three months.
FrogWatch NT co-ordinator Graeme Sawyer said despite the heaviest rainfall in the Territory for more than 50 years the can toad's advance was being held back as people intercepted them.
"In the past three months 789 toads have been dropped live at the centre," he said. "That's 20 toads a day, every day."
Mr Sawyer said last Sunday they had 252 toads in the bin -- 69 were male and 97 female, while 65 were sub adults (60-89mm) and 21 juveniles (30-59mm).
"The interesting aspect of the latest count was two thirds of the catch were female," he said. "100 females equals a potential 6 million eggs a year -- over a lifespan each of these females could lay half a million eggs.
"No wonder other towns and cities have been overrun where people watched toads arrive and did little or nothing."
Mr Sawyer said he had expected to see the cane toads reach Darwin and Palmerston in greater numbers in the last months of the Wet.
"That hasn't happened -- almost certainly because the rural blockholders, plus the ring of traps to the south and east have thinned their numbers considerably and those toads that have got through are now meeting strong resistance from residents."
Cane toads cop full-on assault