Original story at ABC Rural
A study is trying to identify the best cane toad call to attract the pests into traps.
Researchers are touring northern Australia, recording and identifying the most seductive calls which cane toads use.
Research assistant Richard Duffy says the mating call from male toads attracts both sexes.
Research Assistant Richard Duffy hunting for cane toad calls in northern Australia. Photo: Tyne McConnon
“Males will assemble themselves around a body of water and they will call and do their best to sound their greatest.
“But also sometimes you attract males as well because males may have a better chance of finding a female if they go and sit next to Barry White on the edge of the water.”
The four year study is trying to make cane toad traps, more efficient and attractive to toads.
PhD student and researcher Kiyomi Yasumiba says she believes the deeper calls are the most popular.
“In general it’s the males with low frequency calls and who have a large body size.”
Mr Duffy and Ms Yasumiba have collected sounds from Queensland and Western Australia.
Mr Duffy says they are collecting calls from various states as they believe there are different calls for different groups of toads.
“We are going to compare different sites to see whether there are regional dialects, different accents from Queensland and Western Australia.”
The study will record 30 individual toad calls from each location which will then be tested.
Ms Yasumiba says the calls are tested by placing a toad in an area with different calls playing, then documenting which way the toad heads.
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