COURIER-MAIL (Brisbane, Australia) 08 November 10 Black spined toad is a bigger threat than cane toad, say officials (Brian Williams)
Quarantine staff want people returning to Australia from visits to Asia to be on the lookout for toads in their shoes.
Not just any old toads but warty, black-spined critters that have the potential to become established in Australia.
The amphibians nearly as big as their cousin the cane toad also love to sneak into hand luggage and hide in and around shipping containers.
They also are known as the common asian toad and have a nasty reputation as an invasive species, having spread closer and closer to Australia since the 1920s.
Black spined toads compete with native frogs and toads for food and habitat and can carry exotic parasites or diseases. Like cane toads, they also secrete poison from glands in their backs to ward off predators.
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service northern region scientific manager James Walker said yesterday about 20 toads had been found in the past decade although it was not clear if any had slipped through.
''They certainly haven't become established in Australia,'' he said.
Mr Walker said as the toads migrated south through Asia from China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia and West Papua, the risk increased to Australia.
''They travel well (on ships),'' he said. ''They are very tough and can handle sitting for long periods. They do not need much water for a long time. They are fairly large and have good energy reserves, allowing them to travel.''
Mr Walker said the prime time for them to be on the move was the wet season and it was relatively simple for inbound travellers to check luggage and shoes for the hitchhikers.
In May two were found at the Cairns port in the hold of a freight ship that had travelled to Cairns from West Papua.
AQIS officers also found the toads in Sydney in 2007 and 2008, including on a flight from Thailand when one was found in a shoe. About six have been found in shoes in the past two years.
Thailand has been the main country of origin, particularly when shoes are left outside accommodation and then packed away.
They also have been found in shipping containers from Fiji and Indonesia.
Why this unwelcome visitor is so nasty
* The black spined toad is found in China, southern Asia, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Indonesia.
* It is related to the cane toad and has no natural predators in Australia.
* It is potentially more damaging than the cane toad because it could establish in cooler southern states.
* It competes with native frogs and toads for food and habitats and is likely to carry exotic parasites or diseases.
* Adults are similar to the cane toad, although not as big. It has short brown to black spines on the upper body and sides.
* It can hide in shipping containers, machinery and personal effects such as bags, boxes and cartons.
* It likes to shelter in dark, moist areas such as shoes.
Black spined toad is a bigger threat than cane toad, say officials