THE TOADS are coming!

摘要

Darwin is bracing itself for an invasion. Bufo marinus, otherwise known as the cane toad, has been advancing across the Australian landscape for decades. Ravenous, poisonous and an explosive breeder, it has acquired a reputation for wiping out this country's unique wildlife. Now the front line is just a few tens of kilometres from the capital of the Northern Territory; the first invaders are expected to hit the city's limits before the wet season ends next May. This prospect horrifies Darwin's residents. They have visions of their pets being poisoned by the toads' potent toxins, while their swimming pools fill with the loathsome beasts. But as the cane toads approach Darwin, scientists are also being presented with their best opportunity to investigate the ecological impact of the amphibians. Despite the animals' infamy, this remains largely a matter of conjecture. "That's the whole thing with the toads," says Tony Griffiths, an ecologist at the Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, based at the city's Charles Darwin University. "Most of it is anecdotal. There has been very little scientific evidence."