Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This engaging firsthand account account tells the personal story of Professor Shine’s lifetime of research into cane toads and how rigorous natural history studies can effectively inform conservation policies and practices. Professor Shine also makes a strong argument in support of that (apparently) most quaint of scientific practices: field work." * Forbes *
"This is a delightful book full of science, management, Australian humour, and a tremendous amount of information about cane toads. And in the end it is optimistic!" * The International Journal of Conservation *
"...a rollicking good read – written with a wry, self-deprecating humour, but deadly serious about understanding the biology of this organism and its place in the landscape." * Australian Book Review *
"An impressive body of research." * Conservation Biology *
"This is a wonderful book, both entertaining and enlightening, while also revealing the entire story of a conservation disaster and an impressive run of basic and applied biology." * Herpetological Review *
"This is a gripping narrative, recounted by a scientist with a natural flair for story-telling." * iHerp Australia *
Table of ContentsForeword by Harry W. Greene vii
Preface xi
1 • An Ecological Catastrophe 1
2 • How the Cane Toad Came to Australia 13
3 • Arrival of Cane Toads at Fogg Dam 36
4 • How Cane Toads Have Adapted and Dispersed 55
5 • The Impact of Cane Toads on Australian Wildlife 79
6 • How the Ecosystem Has Fought Back 108
7 • Citizens Take On the Toad 130
8 • The Quest for a Way to Control the Toad 155
9 • A New Toolkit for Fighting the Toad 178
10 • Toad Control Moves from the Lab to the Field 203
11 • What We’ve Learned 228
Acknowledgments 245
Appendix 247
Bibliography and Suggested Reading 251
