BreedingCane toads are highly adaptable, both in terms of survival and reproduction. They are much more tolerant than other Australian frogs and can survive and breed in somewhat salty water. In Australia, giant toads normally breed from June to January, but they have been found in breeding condition throughout the year. Cane toads usually begin breeding in their second summer, when they are about 75 mm long. The cane toad needs only a small pool of water for breeding. The males fertilize the eggs as they are laid. Male toads will attempt to mate with anything resembling a female toad - living or dead. As many as 35,000 eggs may be produced by each female, thus giving the species a high breeding potential. Cane toad eggs are blackish in color and are deposited in long jelly like strings onto plants, rocks or debris near water. The spawn consists of long double chains of black eggs about 1 mm in diameter enclosed in a transparent cover.Embryos begin hatching within 48 hours; after several days, the tadpoles begin feeding, and the tail grows proportionately larger and hind limbs develop. In three days, the eggs hatch into small (3 cm) jet black tadpoles - unlike those of any native frog. These tadpoles become toadlets unusually early, so they are out of the water and hopping around faster than most other frogs. Cane toad tadpoles differ further from most species in that they occur in massive numbers and frequently form dense aggregations in shallow water. B. marinus adapted well to the Australian environment. So well that they are moving closer to the wetlands of Kakadu National Park, which includes the Katherine Gorge. District park manager John De Koning says wildlife like crocodiles, goannas, and snakes will be threatened by the arrival of the non-native pest, even though they have only found a few so far. "We came across one large female, this was right on the very southern eastern edge of the Nitmiluk National Park. ...
