Cane Toad

Names and classification

Scientific name

Rhinella marina

Common names

Cane Toad

Family

Bufonidae

Order

Anura

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Present

Origin

Introduced

Conservation status

Not assessed

Evidence limits

Occurrence is supported; local abundance and impact estimates remain less certain than presence.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Lowland terrestrial habitats, gardens, roadsides, wetlands and freshwater edges.

Food and resource needs

Generalist predator of invertebrates and small vertebrates; also consumes carrion and other available food.

Reproduction

Standing or slow freshwater for eggs and tadpoles.

Shelter

Moist soil, vegetation, litter, crevices, banks, or aquatic edge structure depending on species.

Threats and conservation

Threats

As an introduced toxic toad, it can poison predators and alter terrestrial/freshwater food webs; road mortality and control affect the toads themselves.

Conservation actions

Early detection, containment/control where feasible, prevent intentional release or transport, protect high-value native habitats, and monitor ecological effects.

Monitoring

Repeat island occurrence surveys, population trend monitoring, and impact studies using standardized methods.

Data gaps

Current population distribution, abundance, and Kauaʻi-specific ecological effect sizes remain incompletely quantified.

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Year-round with activity/reproduction influenced by rainfall and temperature

Seasonal description

Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) is a documented established nonnative species on Kauaʻi.

Sources and further reading

• USGS NAS — Cane Toad — Kauaʻi collection records
• USGS — Eleutherodactylus frog introductions to Hawaiʻi