WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
An outbreak of cane toads occurred two weekends ago in Palm Beach Gardens.
Once imported to eat bugs in sugar cane fields, they’re now an invasive poisonous species.
According to UF Wildlife Ecology Professor Steve Johnson, the toads are a serious threat to pets. Symptoms of cane toad poisoning in dogs include extremely red gums, head shaking, crying, loss of coordination and sometimes convulsions.
“You know it’s going to vary dependent on the size of the toad and the size of the animal and how much the animal gets, but it potentially could be lethal,” Johnson said.
