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Killer Cane Toads

22 14:28:04

Question
My question has to do with Australia's infamous killer cane toads. I once read somewhere that while most animals are over come by the creatures toxic venom, there is a native species of frog that Australia has that is able to successfully eat killer cane toads with no harmful after effects, Do you know the name of that frog? Also, if this frog does this over a long period of time, Can it itself develop the same toxins as a defense weopon against predators? I will await your reply. Thanks.
PS: Unless you know otherwise it's hard to believe those things have no natural predators (Although, I fully understand introducing their predators could once again create an ecological nightmare).

Answer
Dear William,
thank you for your question.
Cane toads have a number of natural predators, but as far as I know no other frog or toad can eat them as adults. Apparently, Dahl's frog (Litoria dahlii) can eat them as tadpoles and small juveniles, but that behaviour has never been seen in the wild, only in captivity:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1265310.htm

Here's some info on Dahl's frog:
http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au/frogs/display.cfm?frog_id=145
It's highly toxic to snakes but I couldn't find any info on how it produces the toxins. Frogs can synthesize toxins from their prey, poison arrow frogs are for example only toxic because they eat certain types of mites. So I think it'possible that the toxin of Dahl's frog will change when the species should begin to prey mainly on Cane toads, but I don't think that they will develope the same toxins.

Wikipedia has a list of natural predators:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad#Ecology.2C_behaviour_and_life_history

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer