NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS (Darwin, Australia) 22 August 06 Thin green line keeps cane toads on hop (Julia Kogan)
Toad busters in the Top End have captured more than 12,000 toads in the past month.
About 120 adult toads were captured around Darwin on Friday night when everyone was asked to check for toads in their back yards as part of this year's official Toad Audit.
ToadBust nights were run from July 21 to August 18.
During the campaign almost 2000 adult toads and over 10,000 toadlets were stopped in their tracks on their march toward Darwin.
``When you consider that a female toad can lay up to 60,000 to 70,000 eggs a year, you can really understand the significance of this,'' FrogWatch spokesman, Paul Cowdy said.
FrogWatch received 23 phone calls and 15 e-mails from residents in regional areas, Darwin city and people from Palmerston on Friday.
``Mitchell Creek, Marlow Lagoon and Berrimah Farm seem to be the constant hot spots,'' he said.
Toad bins were cleared and 257 toads were dropped at Freds Pass and Archer Dump Toad Detention Centre in Palmerston.
``Some people who hand in toads are known to us and some have brought in toads for the very first time, Mr Cowdy said.
``It's often kids who find toads.''
On the audit night, 45 adult toads and 9100 toadlets were captured at the Palmerston Golf Course, 36 toads at Acacia Hills, 19 at Gunn, 12 at Virginia and 11 adult toads and 1000 toadlets at Berrimah Farm.
Other areas scored less than 10 toads on the night, including Bakewell, Bees Creek, Farrar, Gray, Howard Springs, Humpty Doo, Knuckey Lagoon, Leanyer, Marlow Lagoon, McMinn Lagoon, Moulden, Pinelands and Woodroffe.
FrogWatch co-ordinator Graeme Sawyer said it was a great community effort that would help prevent toads reaching Darwin in large numbers this year.
The exercise had shown that FrogWatch was doing the right thing, he said.
Thin green line keeps cane toads on hop