Australian rangers have killed an invasive “monster” cane toad that was discovered in the wild of a coastal park – a warty brown specimen as long as a human arm and weighing 2.7 kilograms (6 pounds).
The toad was spotted after a snake slithering across a trail forced wildlife workers to stop as they drove in Queensland’s Conway National Park, the state government said.
“I reached down and grabbed the cane toad and couldn’t believe how big and heavy it was,” said ranger Kylee Gray, describing how she spotted the amphibian last week.
“A cane toad this size will eat anything it can fit in its mouth, and that includes insects, reptiles and small mammals,” she said.
The animal was taken away and euthanized.
Cane toads were introduced to Queensland in 1935 to control the reed beetle, with devastating consequences for other wildlife.
At 2.7 kilograms – almost the weight of a newborn human baby – the toad could be a record-breaker, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science said in a statement.
The department described it as a “monster” and said it could end up in the Queensland Museum.
Because of its size, rangers believe it was a female.
While the age is unknown, “this one has been around for a long time,” Gray said, explaining that the amphibians can live up to 15 years in the wild.
Female cane toads can produce up to 30,000 eggs in a season, and the animals are incredibly venomous, leading to the local extinction of some of their predators.
