(Miami Herald) – “Who can I call to get rid of these monsters??? I’m dying over here and I have 3 dogs!” The distressing plea for help was posted late last month by Ohilda Gilbert, a real estate agent, on a Facebook group of South Florida moms.
A photo of a fat, warty cane toad next to a pool pump illustrated her post and fired up a conversation with over 200 comments about the dreaded amphibians. The yellowish-brown cane toads, also known as bufo, marine, or giant toads, are making an appearance in South Florida after the recent heavy rains stirred them up from their burrows and gave them plenty of water to breed in.
If summer turns out to be wetter than normal, as forecasts are predicting, tadpoles will have better chances of survival, potentially creating a population boom for the largest toad found in Florida — a big concern for many dog owners.
“As long as there is water for them to breed in, the cane toads will thrive,” said William Kern, an associate professor at the University of Florida who specializes in urban pest management. “They will be out above the surface, foraging, and breeding. People are probably seeing more of them now.” READ MORE
