Fears cane toads are adapting to cooler weather after the invasive pest is found just 70km from Sydney
- A cane toad has been found on the New South Wales Central Coast on Tuesday
- The invasive and poisonous pest was discovered by a resident sitting by a dam
- Animal expert fears it means the species could be adapting to cooler weather
- If they adapt to the cold, they threaten native wildlife across New South Wales
A cane toad has been found on the New South Wales Central Coast with an animal expert worried the discovery means the species could be adapting to cooler weather.
The invasive and poisonous pest was discovered by a resident sitting by a dam on a Somersby farm on Tuesday and the family captured and brought it to the nearby Australian Reptile Park.
The discovery has been labelled 'alarming' by the park's general manager Tim Faulkner given the cooler weather.
A cane toad has been found on the New South Wales Central Coast with an animal expert worried the discovery means the species could be adapting to cooler weather (stock image)
'It's extremely alarming to see one here, and we can only hope it was a once-off incident and they haven't been breeding,' Mr Faulkner said in a video released to media on Thursday.
Cane toads, known for their spread across the northern parts of Australia after they were introduced to Queensland in the 1930s, have established themselves north of Coffs Harbour over the last 20 years.
Share this article
It's believed the cooler weather south of Coffs Harbour has stopped them from moving lower into NSW, making sightings of them further south rare.
There's concern the species may be adapting to the weather in lower eastern parts of NSW because of an increase in sightings.
Once the amphibians breed, they produce millions of tadpoles and if they adapt to the cold, they threaten native wildlife across NSW, Mr Faulkner added.
'If the toads can overcome that and move south, our native wildlife will face immense threat,' he said.
'Catastrophic decline and near-extinction events of native wildlife have occurred due to the cane toad.'
The pests excrete a venom when attacked or bitten by prey that kills any animal that tries to harm or eat them.
Three cane toads were spotted in the Hunter region earlier this year with one of them killing a pet dog.
Any sightings of cane toads should be reported to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage or the Department of Primary Industries.
If possible, people should try and catch them safely and take photos to be submitted to the DPI.
