Arnold, Karima, Kevin

Methodology

Physical methods of toad control would be to fence pounds and slow moving streams where toads
are most likely to inhabit. Unfortunately, the fencing prevents other animals from drinking from the
pond. Therefore this is not an option. Creating toad traps and destroying eggs would be the cheapest
way to curb the population. This is suggested to be done by the locals and individuals of Queensland
as it will slightly help to reduce the number of toads in an area.

There are also biological methods to get rid of the cane toads, mainly using different types of gene
modifications. Scientists are currently researching into modification technology which is creating a
generation of cane toads that only give birth to male toads and to develop a strain of ‘daughterless
cane toads’. Which are toads that can only give birth to sons “This would be a non-toxic and humane
way of bringing about a population decline, and has no impact on any other species or environment.”
Said by Professor Koopman from the university of Queensland institute for molecular bioscience. “All
of the offspring of this genetically engineered toad would thus be male, and they would all be
carrying the daughterless gene.” As the new generation will contain more and more males who
cannot produce female toads, the number of females is reduced and will therefore reduce the
number of cane toads in the next generation.

There was also another gene modification method, In 1969, a paper was introduced and was a
describing the effects of inoculating Bull frogs tadpoles with genes (haemoglobin in the adult
blood) (Maniatis et al. 1969). And with surprising results, was a death of a number of tadpoles and
the number of tadpoles that did survive produced no haemoglobin that adult or tadpole normally
have. But instead produced a variant haemoglobin that appeared to be neither adult nor
tadpole. Weakening it, and also it interferes with the tadpoles metamorphosis.
 
They tried to do that with Cane Toads (since it was so successful with Bull Frogs), and it worked,
toadlets were smaller with a few number of deaths. They would get through metamorphosis but
with interesting results, and with birth defects and some types of mutations that could lead to a
decrease in numbers. Also, with smaller toads and lower average weights. It would pose less threats
to animals that eat them.
Arnold, Karima, Kevin

 
 
 
  Work Cited:

"Killing off the Cane Toad." Institute for Molecular Bioscience - The University of Queensland,
Australia. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://www.imb.uq.edu.au/index.html?page=48437>.

"Solution to the Cane Toad Plague?" Mygreenaustralia.com. 13 May 2010. Web. 5 May 2011.
<http://www.mygreenaustralia.com/2010/05/solutions-to-the-cane-toad-plague/>.