Cane toad – Native to Central and South America
07 August 2026 (164 visits)Known also as the giant marine toad, the cane toad (Rhinella marina) is a highly successful toad species, with a natural range extending all the way through Central America down to the southeastern Amazon rainforest of Tambopata, where we offer jungle trips from our Tambopata Ecolodge base. Also commonly known as the “giant toad”, cane toads can grow up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length. Females are much larger than the males, and the species is thought to have a life expectancy in the wild of between 10 and 15 years.
Part of its success as a species lies in its breeding habits. Females lay spawn containing thousands of eggs, and the tadpoles are highly toxic to most predators and therefore well-protected during what would otherwise be the most vulnerable stage of their lifecycle. Also, as adults, cane toads are extremely adaptable feeders, and unlike most other frog and toad species, they will eat both living and dead matter.
Adult cane toads possess poison glands, and its toxic skin is capable of killing many species of animals. In human settlements in rainforest areas, cane toads are considered by local people to be particularly dangerous to their dogs.
Although one of the names it is known by is “giant marine toad”, cane toads actually tend to inhabit grassland and forested areas, where they are ground-dwelling. They are nocturnal, and during the day they will typically remain hidden beneath forest leaf litter, or under logs.
While the cane toad is considered a pest in those parts of the world where it was introduced by humans, including Australia, in the rainforests of Central and South America its population density tends to be low, with natural predators controlling its numbers. Caimans and certain snake species are known to be immune to the cane toad’s poison.
In some parts of South America, indigenous peoples have been known to “milk” the species for its venom, for use in their blowgun darts.
