Toxic toad infiltrates Madagascar

Asian common toads may have hopped a ride to Madagascar and could pose an ecological risk to the island’s native species. The first sighting of the Duttaphrynus melanostictus toad on the island off Africa’s southeastern coastline was on March 26, and since then more have been found. The toad is a relative of the cane toad Rhinella marina, which has caused damage to wildlife and ecosystems in Australia and elsewhere. The Asian common toad toxins could do similar damage to Madagascar’s top predators, and its invasion could disrupt the food web on the island, Jonathan Kolby of James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, warns in the May 29 Nature.