AIKEN — Amphibian life and the creative process were topics of discussion Jan. 9 at Horse Creek Academy, with a local author/illustrator sharing some tricks of the trade for several dozen ...

1935: Cane toads brought to Australia to control Queensland’s cane beetles. Sugar cane was brought to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788. There were repeated small-scale attempts to grow the crop ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Brought in to address a problem, cane toads now represent ...

Unlike many other species of amphibians, the cane toad is thriving. It was introduced to Australia (and other places, such as Hawaii) to get rid of pest insects in sugar cane plantations. It had no ...

In 1935, native beetles were wreaking havoc on Australia’s sugar cane crops in Queensland. The beetle larvae lived in the soil and chewed on sugarcane roots, stunting growth or killing the plants.

Since their introduction in 1935, cane toads (Rhinella marina) have become one of Australia’s most notorious invasive species, profoundly impacting native ecosystems. Research over recent decades has ...