Cane Toad
Bufo marinus
Status and Distrubution: Abundant, mainly in Queensland and the Northern Territory but also New South Wales

Cane Toads are carnivorous and have specialised glands that release highly toxic venom. Poisonous at every life stage, Cane Toads breed quickly and are devastating native animal populations. With no natural predators and an abundance of food sources, they have spread quickly since their release in 1935 as a control species for scarabs that were destroying sugar cane plantations.

Download the Cane Toad fact sheet.

Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Status: Abundant
Distribution: Australia wide

Introduced to Australia during the late nineteenth century, the Red Fox is a versatile predator that has prospered across much of southern and central Australia. It has caused the extinction of several native animals.

Photo by Babs and Bert Wells/DEC

Feral Cat
Felis catus
Status: Abundant
Distribution: Australia wide

An extremely efficient and adaptable predator, the Feral Cat is able to exploit a large variety of habitats. It feeds on small mammals and reptiles, birds, frogs and insects and is though to play a major role in the decline and extinction of many native animals.

Photo by Babs and Bert Wells/DEC

European Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Status: Adundant
Distribution: Australia wide

Though not carnivorous, the introduced European Rabbit has had a dire effect on native mammal populations through competition for food and shelter. It has also caused considerable damage to the Australian environment by overgrazing and digging that can cause changes in plant composition and erosion.