Are There Cane Toads in Florida? Where Invasive Toads Live

Where cane toads live in the United States

The cane toad is native to the Americas, from south Texas through Mexico and Central America to the Amazon basin. Within the United States, three situations exist:

Attempts to introduce cane toads to Louisiana did not produce lasting populations. Elsewhere in the continental US, winters are too cold for this tropical toad.

How did cane toads get to Florida?

Cane toads were first released in Florida in the 1930s and 1940s to control pests in sugarcane fields, but those early introductions failed to take hold. The species finally became established after an accidental release of toads by a pet importer at Miami International Airport in the mid-1950s, followed by releases by animal dealers in the Miami area in the 1960s.

From there, the toads spread through the suburbs of southeast Florida and gradually north and west. Today they live across much of the southern half of the peninsula, from the Florida Keys north to about the Tampa Bay and Orlando regions, with scattered reports farther north. Their range is still slowly expanding.

The cane toad is one of many nonnative animals that have made a home in South Florida’s warm climate. Others include Burmese pythons and dozens of lizard species; see how did Burmese pythons get to Florida? and our guide to lizards in Florida.

Where you are likely to see them

In Florida, cane toads are mostly an animal of people’s places rather than wild swamps. They are common in suburban yards, along canals and drainage ditches, around ponds on golf courses and in parks. They hide by day under leaf litter, boards, pots or in burrows and come out at night, especially after rain in the warm months.

Cane toads often gather under porch lights and streetlights, where they eat insects attracted by the light. They also feed on pet food left outside. In spring and summer, males call from shallow water with a long, low trill, a bit like a distant motor or a dial tone.

How to tell a cane toad from native Florida toads

Florida has two common native toads, and both are often mistaken for cane toads. Telling them apart matters, because native toads are harmless members of the local ecosystem.

The clearest field marks for an adult cane toad are its sheer size and the large, triangular parotoid glands that run down the shoulders. Young cane toads, however, can be the same size as adult southern toads, so for small toads look at the head: a southern toad has two prominent knobs on top of the head behind the eyes, which cane toads lack.

In south Texas, the native cane toad lives alongside the smaller Gulf Coast toad, which has a pale stripe down its back and a dark band along each side. For general tips on telling toads from frogs, see frog vs toad, and for a familiar native toad of the eastern US, see the American toad.

Why cane toads are a concern in Florida

Like all toads, cane toads have poison glands, and theirs are particularly large and potent. The milky toxin contains compounds that affect the heart. In Florida, the main concern is for animals that bite or mouth toads, including pet dogs and cats, as well as native wildlife. Toxins from eggs and tadpoles can also affect animals that eat them in ponds.

Cane toads also eat large numbers of insects and small animals and may compete with native toads and frogs. Their impact in Florida has not been as dramatic as in Australia, partly because many native predators in the Americas have some tolerance for toad toxins. For the much bigger Australian story, read why are cane toads a problem in Australia?.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission treats the cane toad as an invasive species and asks residents to report nonnative animals they find.

Safety around cane toads

For people, the most important rules are simple: do not handle toads roughly, keep them away from your face, and wash your hands after any contact. Children should not pick them up. Toad toxin can seriously harm a person who gets it in the eyes or mouth or who eats any part of a toad. If someone may have swallowed toad toxin or becomes ill after contact, seek emergency medical help immediately by calling 911.