Giant poisonous toads are becoming an increasing issue throughout Florida and it is important to keep your pets away from them.
Non-native cane toads appear everywhere from the Keys all the way to Lake Okeechobee and have been sighted in Estero recently.
Please use caution when walking your pets. Toads are most active in the evening and at night. When threatened, the toads may excrete a milky poison that oozes from their glands. The poison can be deadly to animals if they bite them or try eating them. The ooze can also irritate the skin and eyes of humans.
If you suspect your pet has been poisoned by a cane toad, rinse their mouth immediately with water (do not let them swallow the rinse water) and take them to the vet to be checked.
These toads are not anything new. They were first introduced to Florida by the sugar cane companies in the ’30’s and ’40’s to control pests that harmed their crops.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, they pose a relatively low threat to Florida’s ecosystem. However, these invasive toads can grow up to 10-inches long and are one of the largest toad species in the world.
Cane toads are very similar in appearance to the southern toad (non-toxic).
