While we are on the subject of cane toad consumption, I got a few
photos of a T Crow industriously working away at an apparently
dessicated cane toad yesterday. I think it knew what it was doing.
Regards, Laurie.
On 31/08/2009, at 1:20 PM, Del Richards wrote:
Recently a friend of mine in Kuranda was taking her usual morning
walk and noticed a male Papuan Frogmouth lying on it's back on the
kerbside. She was able to pick the bird up as it was in a state of
paralysis at the time.
Although she was not able to find any sign of superficial injury
she delivered the frogmouth to a local wildlife carer. After some
hours the bird regurgitated a cane toad and in due course was
returned to it's home habitat after five days in care apparently
unaffected by the ordeal..
Many of the species that fall victim to poisoning from Cane Toads
as in the frogmouth's case have to swallow them whole and are not
able to be discriminate as to which parts are safe to eat. Indeed
there are quite a number of would be hunters such as raptors etc.
which are equipped to take pieces that do not cary the toxins. ( It
occurs to me that some species that are able to taste the poison and
therefore avoid it. If indeed this is not a factor how else would
the select species learn the art. They would invariably die first if
it came down to a process of elimination.)
As an outcome in this particular case it interesting that
frogmouths are able to regurgitate this food item and this may
because the birds have such a huge gape.
Del Richards, Fine Feather Tours, Mossman, NQ.
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