Question 2 of 21

Why did Australia import giant cane toads from Hawaii in 1935?

... They were imported to combat a plague of cane beetles.

Question 3 of 21

Were they successful?

... Not at all. Instead of combating the cane beetles as intended, they began to wreak havoc.

Question 4 of 21

By 2008, what was the estimated cane toad population?

... In 2008, the descendants of the original 101 numbered in the billions.

Question 5 of 21

Okay, so there are a lot of cane toads. Why is that such a problem?

... Apart from the unsettling thought that these numerous, huge toads are on the move toward major cities, the bigger problem is that these toads are poisonous to many animals.

Question 6 of 21

Normally in nature every species has a natural predator and so a balance is maintained. Why does this not seem to apply to the cane toads?

... Since they are relatively new to Australia, other animals have not yet figured out how to deal with these extremely poisonous toads.

Question 7 of 21

What is the one thing Australians do not have to fear from these toads?

... They don't have to fear an outbreak of warts, since toads, regardless of type, do not cause warts.

Question 8 of 21

What started the idea that toads cause warts?

... Toads have bumps on their backs that resemble warts and these together with the slimy feel of the toads probably gave rise to the belief.

Question 9 of 21

If toads don't cause warts what does?

... A virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes warts.

Question 10 of 21

What was one of the bizarre and unfounded cures for warts?

... One theory, or old wives' tale, stated that burying a cat at midnight would cure warts.

Question 11 of 21

What else can HPV cause?

... A sexually transmitted strain can cause cervical cancer in women.

Question 12 of 21

How many people in the U.S. are infected with some form of HPV?

... Estimates are about 20 million, although most are mild forms such as warts.

Question 13 of 21

What caused the controversy in 2007 regarding the campaign for mandatory inoculation against HPV?

... It was caused by the revelation that the campaign was partially funded by the company producing the only FDA-approved vaccine.

Question 14 of 21

Following these revelations, what happened?

... The benefits outweighed the controversy and by the end of 2008, 41 states had legislated mandatory HPV inoculation

Question 15 of 21

What threat do warts pose to humans?

... No real threat, but they are bothersome from an esthetic point of view.

Question 16 of 21

What is one of the more popular forms of wart removal?

... Cryotherapy involves using liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart off.

Question 17 of 21

So we know toads don't cause warts, but why should you think twice about picking up a toad?

... Apart from the defensive poisons they secrete, toads have a habit of urinating when a human picks them up.

Question 18 of 21

Are warts contagious?

... They are: HPV is easily transferred from person to person.

Question 19 of 21

Can a blister beetle be of use in the treatment of warts?

... The extract from a blister beetle creates a blister around the wart and once the blister falls off, the wart goes with it.

Question 20 of 21

Getting back to the cane toad, what can you learn from its introduction to Australia?

... Introducing a non-native species can disrupt an ecosystem.

Question 21 of 21

Just how big are the cane toads?

... They can reach two pounds (0.9 kilograms).