Taste aversion therapy trials tackle toad issue

Scientists have used camera traps to help identify the Kimberley wildlife most tempted to eat cane toads.

Remote cameras have been set up near Kununurra and Warmun and in Mitchell River National Park to track the interest of native fauna in cane toads.

Run by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the University of Sydney, the trials involve putting baits in front of the cameras to capture the animals’ reactions to the meat.

DEC research scientist David Pearson said the camera trapping work was ongoing but it was already clear that northern quolls, blue-tongue lizards and some goannas would eat the baits.

The baits, which smell and taste like toads, are being used to train native predators to avoid eating toads in a method known as “taste aversion”.

“The small sausage baits are made by biologists by mincing less toxic parts of toads (such as back legs),” Dr Pearson said.

“This is then injected with a harmless, but nausea-inducing salt.

“The idea is that predators that consume these baits which smell and taste like toads, will feel ill and then not be tempted to consume real toads.”

University of Sydney researchers Jonno Webb and Professor Rick Shine have previously undertaken studies using captive quolls to test whether the baits improve survival rates.

The animals were trained using the taste aversion method then released into toad-infested parts of the Northern Territory.

“Their studies showed that trained quolls did have higher rates of survival and there is some evidence that their offspring do as well, so this research is very encouraging,” Dr Pearson said. “An intensive program is planned this wet season to see if the baits can be made more attractive for other fauna.”