Short Term Impacts
Cane Toads consume native Australian species which can be, sometimes, quite scarce. The Rainbow Bee-eater is now considered an endangered species because Cane Toads consume their nesting chicks. This could impact the abundance of honeybees, which would reduce the number of flowers that are pollinated, which would have devastating affects on most ecosystems as the flowers are plants, which means that they are the producers of all food chains.
Most animals that consume Cane Toads lose their life almost simultaneously as a result of the poison contained within the Cane Toads. These once predators usually include quolls, frilled necked lizards, goannas, snakes and even crocodiles. Once the 'front wave' of the Cane Toads have arrived and departed a habitat, certain species become highly endangered, on the verge of extinction.
Most animals that consume Cane Toads lose their life almost simultaneously as a result of the poison contained within the Cane Toads. These once predators usually include quolls, frilled necked lizards, goannas, snakes and even crocodiles. Once the 'front wave' of the Cane Toads have arrived and departed a habitat, certain species become highly endangered, on the verge of extinction.
Long Term Impacts
As has been evidently clear, the Cane Toads have been moving west for no apparent reason. There is a wonderful ecosystem in the north west of Australia. This is called the Kimberley. It will be absolutely devastating if this ecosystem were to be destroyed and depleted of its inhabitants. There are certain species that live in this part of the world, that are solely unique to this region only. Scientists have discovered that up to forty five native species in the Kimberley will become extinct in a minuscule twenty years. Doctor Tara Martin, a CSIRO ecologist at the University of Queensland said "We're in the midst of an extinction event in Australia and the north has been the last stronghold for many native species of wildlife." About thirty percent of these species that are threatened are unique to the Kimberley, whereas species such as the Golden Bandicoot' have disappeared in other regions and areas of Australia. She also stated that "The Kimberley is really their last chance on earth."