They’re big, they’re slimy, they’re hopping and they could be coming to your Southeast neighborhood.
It’s the start of the region’s rainy season and experts are warning pet owners to be wary of mottled cane toads.
The invasive species thrives in the warmer and wetter climate, from Florida to Louisiana, across the Atlantic to Puerto Rico and west to Hawai’i.
Unfortunately, being exposed to the brown amphibians – that need water to reproduce – can be deadly for both cats and dogs, Ron Magill, conservation liaison for the Zoo Miami Foundation, told The Miami Herald on Tuesday.
When touched, the toads produce a toxin called bufotoxin that acts to kill in just 15 minutes, according to the City of Naples. The toxin is released from glands behind their eyes, according to Hillsborough County.
“This can be fatal to pets,” Magill said. “Probably countless dogs every year get very sick, and many of them die in Florida because of their encounters with these toads.”
Also known as the bufo or marine toad, the 6-9-inch-wide creature is native to Central and South America. It was first introduced to Florida and the U.S. in the 1930s, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The toads were meant to control beetles eating the sugar cane, a major Florida export, the Florida Museum says. But those toads did not survive and the current population is believed to be the result of escapes and releases from importers in the 1950s.
They have also spread throughout the central and southern part of the Sunshine State, to Mississippi and Louisiana.
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While the toads need moisture, they are adaptable and able to live in residential areas and are commonly found in yards, around buildings or near canals and ponds, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission says.
With calls likened to a distant tractor or screech owl, cane toads breed year-round in standing water, streams, canals and ditches.
While they eat vegetation and insects, they can also consume small birds, other toads, frogs, lizards, small mammals and even snakes.
They may be attracted to pet food, as well.
“Never leave pet food outside to avoid attracting cane toads and other animals,” the commission instructs.
Pet owners can also ensure their furry loved ones are safe by having cane toads removed from their properties, ensuring their grass is cut regularly, filling any holes and trimming shrubs.
“Prevention is the best way to avoid an unfortunate and possibly fatal interaction involving your pet,” the Conservancy of Southwest Florida says. “Always keep your dog on a leash when walking outside, especially on warm evenings and after rain, and make your yard less toad-friendly by removing any attractants such as pet food or debris piles where toads can hide.”
Cane toads can be humanely euthanized – just make sure to not kill native southern toads, which are smaller, crested and have oval glands. Cane toads have no crests and have triangular glands.
If your pet may have been exposed, watch out for bright red gums and excessive drooling, as well as seizures, Dr. Yamilka Lago-Alvarez, of VCA Knowles Central Animal Hospital and VCA Knowles Snapper Creek Animal Hospital, also told The Herald.
If there are mild signs, wash the animal’s mouth out with water using a hose or a damp cloth.
“If the patient is just hypersalivating, and we can rinse the mouth out, then yes, go for it,” Lago said. “But if they’re actively seizing, then no. The most important thing is to bring them to the vet clinic immediately.”
With care and anti-seizure medication, pets can make a full recovery.
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