Travelling toad to be put down - report
2012-12-20 12:06
Johannesburg - A toad that hopped inside a porcelain
candlestick in China and made its way to Cape Town will be put down, the Star
reported on Thursday.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA's Brett Glasby told the newspaper
that it was not unusual to find animals that "hitch-hike" but that
they have never found a toad.
"We've had snakes in the imported timber, scorpions in
fruit. We were called because it was right inside the candlestick and we had to
break it to get it out," he said.
Glasby said the toad has an adaptation mechanism which includes
their skin hardening to prevent it from drying out, their heart rate and
breathing slowing down, to survive in time of drought.
"When water touches this hard casing [the skin] it goes
soft and sloughs off," he told The Star.
He said the toad was also hungry and staff fed it worms and
crickets.
The toad will have to be put down as it is a potentially
invasive creature and poses a threat to the indigenous frogs, according to the
report.
Scientific manager at CapeNature, Andrew Turner, identified
the toad as the Asian Common Toad.
The toad is not endangered.
- SAPA
