A while back I blogged on the rise and conquest of the Cane Toad in Australia.
At the time it looked as though nothing could stop them, and I even entered into correspondence with scientists in Australia who were trying to control them .... I was interested in the story and their plans.
Anyway, this week came some good news, some parts of Australia maybe 'too cold' or 'too dry' for the Cane Toads to advance into these areas. This story on the BBC, offers hope that some areas may survive the Cane Toad invasion and allow scientists a chance to develop control methods.
However a note of warning, the toads have proved very adaptable so far, and may yet find away around difficulties e.g. accidental introductions bypassing natural barriers or even local wet periods, or warm spells temporarily removing the obstacles.
The danger still remains that they will get into the major river systems in the south of the continent, or the permanent water sources like those in the West MacDonnell Ranges and the Pilbara in the interior and adapt to local colder water conditions (after all, turtles manage to do this in the UK and are now thriving).
But its still some good news for the local wildlife and may yet prove to be a temporary answer for some areas, but somehow I suspect this adaptable invader may yet find a way past this obstacle.
At the time it looked as though nothing could stop them, and I even entered into correspondence with scientists in Australia who were trying to control them .... I was interested in the story and their plans.
Anyway, this week came some good news, some parts of Australia maybe 'too cold' or 'too dry' for the Cane Toads to advance into these areas. This story on the BBC, offers hope that some areas may survive the Cane Toad invasion and allow scientists a chance to develop control methods.
However a note of warning, the toads have proved very adaptable so far, and may yet find away around difficulties e.g. accidental introductions bypassing natural barriers or even local wet periods, or warm spells temporarily removing the obstacles.
The danger still remains that they will get into the major river systems in the south of the continent, or the permanent water sources like those in the West MacDonnell Ranges and the Pilbara in the interior and adapt to local colder water conditions (after all, turtles manage to do this in the UK and are now thriving).
But its still some good news for the local wildlife and may yet prove to be a temporary answer for some areas, but somehow I suspect this adaptable invader may yet find a way past this obstacle.
