2/2/12

South Florida Toad, Snake, Lizard

I 've just had too much nature for one day...the frog and snake skin scared me, so I came in for some water, and found this lizard on the counter looking at my dirty dishes. I hate it when the weather is so nice that we keep the house open. (?)
IMG_2063 We have two kinds of toads here in South Florida. One is very poisonous to dogs and one is not. Over the years, I've seen 3-4 friend's dogs fall victim to these toads. As if the sight of this toad wasn't bad enough, he was hiding under a snake skin...gross!

IMG_2064 Back to the toad. Here's a great article about how to tell the difference between the bad toad and the good toad.

The Giant Toad (a.k.a. Marine Toad or Cane Toad) is the largest of the frogs and toads found in Florida. The giant toad is not native to the United States. It was originally released in the U.S. in sugar cane fields to help control “white grubs,” larvae of pest Scarabaeidae. B. marinusbecame established in southern Florida as result of accidental release of about 100 specimens from the stock of a pet dealer at Miami airport in 1955, and by subsequent releases by pet dealers in the 1960s (Krakauer, 1968). Giant Toads are a highly predacious exotic species that will eat all types of native frogs and toads. This species is skilled at locating all types of food, they have even been known to eat pet food.

CAUTION: When this non-native species is threatened or handled, it secretes a highly toxic milky substance from its large parotoid glands at the back of its head, behind the ears. This secretion can burn your eyes, may irritate your skin, and can kill cats and dogs if they ingest the secretion.
Below, I posted photos of the two toads side by side (courtesy UF Wildlife Extension). Even with this directions, I still don't know which frig I've just encountered. If I had to guess, I'd say it's the good toad. The dog is staying in the house with me until Dad can fling him over the fence with a shovel.



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