Bashed frog victim of mistaken identity

[Tina Greco - Melbourne]

Bashed frog victim of mistaken identity

By Drew Cratchley

February 08, 2008 01:32pm
Article from: AAP





WILDLIFE experts are trying to save a green tree frog almost kicked to death by children who thought it was a cane toad.

The creature was yesterday handed in to the Gold Coast's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary suffering horrific injuries.

Senior veterinarian Michael Pyne said some children apparently mistook the frog, nicknamed Puffy by sanctuary staff, for a cane toad and tried to kill it.

"There was some children kicking what they thought was a toad in their backyard.

"The neighbour saw it and saw that it was a green tree frog, and they rushed over and grabbed the frog and brought it in to us."

Dr Pyne, who said Puffy was not likely to survive, urged people not to bash any amphibian, even if they suspected it was a cane toad.

"This poor frog is in a desperate state, we're going to need a lot of luck for him to pull through," he said.

"He's basically ruptured his lungs and he's filling up with air, and he's heavily bruised, so we're going to be doing a few procedures on him later today."

Cane toads should be killed humanely, Dr Pyne said.

"You shouldn't be kicking toads to death anyway, it's far better to catch them up and pop them in the freezer."

[Ari]

What's wrong with a Cane Toad anyway?  Do they carry diseases?

[Tina Greco - Melbourne]

What's wrong with a Cane Toad anyway?  Do they carry diseases?

Oh boy what is wrong with cane toads.................

Easier question what is right with them.

They where introduced to this country as a biological control agent against a bug in our sugar cane area in Queensland. They have NO natural predator here. There numbers went out of control, they eat not just bugs they were brought in for but alot of other wildlife here.

They have a poison in their skin, which is  halusagenic. They now are plague numbers and a menace to the natural order of Australian wildlife. 

[newman]

That Simpsons episode wasn't wide of the mark.

The water does spin in the opposite direction (than it does in USA) when you pull the plug, our PM does drive a beaten-up pickup truck and we all advocate a good 'kick up the bum' for wrong-doers.