The myth of the toad-eating frog

Richard Shine*, Matthew Greenlees, Michael Crossland, David Nelson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)
50 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In 2005, news media widely reported the discovery that a native Australian frog species, Litoria dahin, could consume the normally toxic tadpoles of invasive cane toads (Bufo marinus) without ill effects, and might therefore be helpful in controlling these troublesome pests. Our experimental studies show that, contrary to the story, L dahlii is just as vulnerable to toad toxins as are other native frog species. So, why did the story spread so widely, and what does this tell us about the power of myth in public debates about conservation issues?

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)359-361
Number of pages3
JournalFrontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Volume7
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sep 2009
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Copyright by the Ecological Society of America. Originally published in Shine, R., Greenlees, M., Crossland, M., & Nelson, D. (2009). The myth of the toad‐eating frog. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(7), 359-361. https://doi.org/10.1890/080081

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