Shine Lab

Scientific Publications

Where available the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) numbers) have been listed after each paper. To view the Abstract or Full Text of the paper at the journal website, copy the DOI and paste it into the DOI Resolver.

To request a reprint please contact Mel: melanie.elphick@sydney.edu.au

Cane toad control

Phillips, B. L., C. Kelehear, L. Pizzatto, G. P. Brown, D. Barton, and R. Shine. 2010. Parasites and pathogens lag behind their host during periods of host range-advance. Ecology 91:872-881. DOI: 10.1890/09-0530.1
By dissecting hundreds of cane toads, we found that the lung parasite Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala is lacking from the invasion-front populations. It takes a few years to catch up, probably because the worms slow toads down.

Kelehear, C., J. K. Webb, and R. Shine. 2009. Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala infection in Bufo marinus: lung nematodes reduce viability of metamorph cane toads. Parasitology 136:919-927. DOI: 10.1017/S0031182009006325

Kelehear, C., G. P. Brown, and R. Shine. 2011. Influence of lung parasites on growth rates of free-ranging and captive adult cane toads. Oecologia 165:585-592. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1836-5
These studies examine the effect of the lung parasite Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala (a nematode worm) on tiny metamorph toads in the laboratory and on much larger adult toads both in the lab and the field. In each case, the worms have strong negative effects on the toads. This is encouraging for using worms for toad control, but we have to be sure that the worms won’t also affect native frogs. We’ve been looking at this also (see Ligia’s papers on the “impact” page).

Pizzatto, L., and R. Shine. 2011. You are what you eat: parasite transfer in cannibalistic cane toads. Herpetologica: in press.
We show that the highly cannibalistic habits of medium-sized cane toads can result in them becoming infected with the lung parasite. This could be really useful for control, because it’s these large surviving toads that we need to target.

Ward-Fear, G., G. P. Brown, and R. Shine. 2010. Using a native predator (the meat ant, Iridomyrmex reburrus) to reduce the abundance of an invasive species (the cane toad, Bufo marinus) in tropical Australia. Journal of Applied Ecology 47:273-280. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01773.x

Ward-Fear, G., G. P. Brown, and R. Shine. 2010. Factors affecting the vulnerability of cane toads (Bufo marinus) to predation by ants. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 99:738-751. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01395.x

Somaweera, R., N. Somaweera, and R. Shine. 2010. Frogs under friendly fire: how accurately can the general public recognize invasive species? Biological Conservation 143:1477-1484. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.03.027
Our surveys of the general public at shopping centres in Darwin were designed to find out how good people are at telling the difference between frogs and cane toads. The answer is that most people are really not able to do this very well. One result is that – especially in areas where toads are scarce, or haven’t yet invaded – we should encourage people to have any “toad” identification checked by an expert. Otherwise, a lot of people will be killing native frogs in mistake for toads.

Shine, R., and J. S. Doody. 2011. Invasive-species control: understanding conflicts between researchers and the general community. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment: in press. DOI: 10.1890/100090
Sean and I wrote this paper after we attended a community meeting in Kununurra. We explore why researchers seem to end up disagreeing so often with community leaders, and conclude that it’s almost inevitable given the different pressures that the two groups are under. Scientists can afford to just try to work out what is going on, but community leaders are in a political situation where their support and funding depend upon providing simple and encouraging messages to their supporters.

Hagman, M., and R. Shine. 2009. Larval alarm pheromones as a potential control for invasive cane toads (Bufo marinus) in tropical Australia. Chemoecology 19:211-217. DOI: 10.1007/s00049-009-0027-5

Crossland, M. R., and R. Shine. 2011. Cues for cannibalism: cane toad tadpoles use chemical signals to locate and consume conspecific eggs. Oikos 120:327-332. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18911.x

Crossland, M. R., M. N. Hearnden, L. Pizzatto, R. A. Alford, and R. Shine. 2011. Why be a cannibal? The benefits to cane toad (Rhinella marina) tadpoles of consuming conspecific eggs. Animal Behaviour: in press subject to revision.
These two papers look at a fascinating behaviour that Michael discovered. Toad tadpoles are highly cannibalistic, and use chemical substances produced by toad egg masses to find and destroy those new eggs. If we can work out the specific chemicals involved, we might have a terrific toad-specific “bait” with which to trap toad tadpoles – without affecting the tadpoles of native frogs.

Cabrera-Guzmán, E., M. R. Crossland, and R. Shine. 2011. Can we use the tadpoles of Australian frogs to reduce recruitment of invasive cane toads? Journal of Applied Ecology 48:462-470. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01933.x
Elisa’s laboratory experiments show that toad tadpoles are poor competitors, and experience reduced survival and growth if they have to develop in the same container as Australian native frogs. So, by encouraging frogs to breed in the ponds usually used by toads (or by adding frog tadpoles to those ponds), we can make life a lot harder for the invasive toad. The much-loved Green Tree Frog turns out to be the most effective anti-toad species.

Cane toad research photo credits: Christa Beckmann, Haley Bowcock, Greg Brown, Elisa Cabrera-Guzman, Travis Child, Michael Crossland, Matthew Greenlees, Mattias Hagman, Crystal Kelehear, John Llewelyn, David Nelson, Stephanie O'Donnell, Ben Phillips, Ligia Pizzatto, Sam Price-Rees, Cathy Shilton, Ruchira Somaweera, Peter Street, Georgia Ward-Fear, Jonathan Webb