cane toad

American  

noun

1. a large brown toad, Bufo marinus, of tropical America, toxic to animals eating it and once exported to help control sugarcane beetles.

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cane toad British  

noun

1. Also called: giant toad.   marine toad.  a large toad, Bufo marinus , native to Central and South America but introduced into many countries to control insects and other pests of sugar-cane plantations

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Example Sentences

"I can't stand them, like they make me dry retch. So if it was a cane toad, it would have scared me."

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Yellow spotted monitor lizards usually die after eating a single adult cane toad, an introduced pest with toxic skin secretions that has wreaked havoc on Australia’s native wildlife.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 15, 2024

"Our work in adaptive management for conservation is based on decades of cane toad research and involves a broad group of people and organisations," says Dr Ward-Fear.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2024

Toadzilla has now been taken to the Queensland Museum for further analysis on whether she is indeed the world’s largest recorded cane toad.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2023

"A cane toad that size will eat anything it can fit into its mouth," she said.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2023