Pinellas County Government Warns Residents Of Poisonous Toads

If you're a pet owner, you need to know about these invasive toads.

Cane toads, or bufo toads, are poisonous toads that resemble our non-poisonous southern toads. They are deadly to our pets.

Their appearance at a glance may vary from one to another. They can be reddish-brown to grayish-brown with a light-yellow or beige belly, and also can have a uniform color or have darker markings around the body. Common identifying features with which you can tell the difference include: large, triangular poison glands on the shoulders and bony ridges from over the eyes down to the nostrils. Adult cane toads can be from 6-9 inches long. Southern toads only grow to 3-4 inches long. Southern toads have oval glands closer to the center of their backs.

They are poisonous and dangerous to our pets. Biting or swallowing a cane toad can cause sickness or even death in 15 minutes unless treated quickly. Symptoms include a change in behavior, either frantic or disoriented. Also, seizures or bright red gums and foaming at the mouth.

If your pet bites or swallows a cane toad, they can become sick and die in as little as 15 minutes without proper treatment. That treatment includes washing poison from the mouth for 10 minutes. Do not wash the toxins into the mouth. Wipe gums with a towel to remove more toxins, and get to a vet quickly.

The following video from the University of Florida Wildlife Ecologist Dr. Steve Johnson will explain how to identify cane toads, or bufo toads. Beginning at 5:30, the video demonstrates how to treat your pet if you believe your pet has been poisoned by a cane toad.

Click here for more details from the Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Being an invasive species, they can be removed from property legally. Wear protective gloves when handling cane toads.
[Source: Bay News 9]

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