A SCIENCE LAB MAINSTAY

Perhaps the only place where Cane Toads have become and remain popular is inside science laboratories.

In the Philippines, there is no animal more frequently sacrificed at the altar of science education than Rhinella marina. Every year, thousands of Toads are anesthetized and cut open in biology labs and classrooms in an attempt to understand vertebrate anatomy.

Since Cane Toads are an invasive species, their harvesting is not regulated by any laws and such experiments are actually viewed by some as a means to control the population. [Why is it that animals often pay the price for human shortcomings? -Ed.]

The poison that Cane Toads produce has also been the subject of study, especially after it was found to be more complex than previously thought. Scientists have analyzed the toxins in efforts to “better understand the enemy” as well as to explore the possibilities of using them in medical procedures.