Identification

Cane toad tadpoles are jet black all over and have a totally transparent tail without any pigment, dots stripes or other markings. Cane toad tadpoles grow to an average of 3cm and commonly school in large numbers in shallow water. They rarely come to the surface of the water to breath.

What does a cane toad look like?

Adult cane toads are usually very large - around 10 to 15 cm long (or 4 to 5 inches) with rough and extremely warty skin. If you find one over 4 cm long, you should be able to identify it from this picture.
They range from dull brown, yellowish to blackish on top and mottled brown underneath. Cane toads have large eardrums just below/behind the eyes, and large glands behind the head which exudes a white poisonous substance.

The call of the male is a high-pitched purr that is sustained for about 30 seconds.

Smaller toads can easily be confused with native frogs and up to two-thirds of suspected toads turn out to be harmless frogs. If you are unsure, please take the animal to your local DEC office or email a digital photograph to DEC officers so it can be correctly identified.

If a cane toad is found outside the known distribution (refer to map below), please contact either your local DEC office or 1800 084 881, as soon as possible. A trained officer can then identify the animal and appropriately dispose of it, if it is a cane toad.