Marine or Cane Toad Bufo marinus/Rhinella marina

The Marine or Cane Toad is a giant neotropical toad (another of its names) native to South and Central America. It is poisonous (large parotoid glands behind ear) and can grow typically to some 6 inches (15 cm) length, but 9 inches has been recorded.

What's in a name: original taxonomic name was Bufo marinus, the latter in the mistaken belief that the giant was also sea-going. More recently it was moved to a subgenus of Bufo toads containing the Latin American species and called Rhinella, hence Rhinella marina (Latin feminine) often now treated as a full genus. The name Marine Toad derives from the erroneous marinus/marina. The name Cane Toad derives from its use by humans as a pest control agent in sugar cane plantations.

The Cane Toad was introduced to Australia in an attempt to control sugar cane pests. However it turned its attention to native wildlife and spread rapidly with disastrous results for the Australian native fauna, both prey and predators.