This discussion reminded me of a Torresian Crow I saw with a road-killed Cane
Toad at Banora Point (Tweed Heads) in January. The crow took off carrying the
toad and flew across the path of my car. It dropped the toad onto the road so
that I ran over it. Is it possible that the crow was tenderising the toad to
make it safer to eat?
> On 31 Jan 2015, at 1:37 pm, David Bishop <> wrote:
>
> Great news and this fits with what I know of crow behaviour in West New
> Britain. The distinctive local race of crow on New Britain can be regularly
> seen flipping over live or dead cane toads and picking at the sift and
> presumably non toxic underparts.
>
> Thanks Shane..
>
>
> David
>
>
>
>
>
>
> P. O. Box 1234, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia
>
>> On 31 Jan 2015, at 10:38 am, shane brady <> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all
>> Crows appear to be winning the battle against Cane Toads, at least at our
>> in-laws' property in the Maranoa abt 90km east of Roma.
>> During our latest visit before Xmas, there was a noticeable decrease in
>> toads v frogs, by calls at least. They have been totally dominant out there
>> for years.
>> Every morning a Crow actively hunts them out of a hole beneath a tree in
>> the homestead garden and eats them belly-first.
>> Crows are apparently applying this technique to other reptiles and
>> amphibians as I found a tree frog and a dragon lizard that had been eaten
>> the same telltale way, presumably by Crows.
>> Cane Toads have been rife in the area for a long time. Step on a piece of
>> caked mud by a dry dam and dozens of toadlets would scurry out. But they
>> were strangely quiet this time, and we were treated to an amazing frog
>> symphony each night after the recent rains. Two sounded like they were
>> having an aurgument - one kept responding 'You're wrong, you're wrong -
>> wrong, wrong , wrong'. Hilarious.
>> I also saw a meteorite explode while out listening to them one starry night.
>> Goannas, which have been absent for some time, are also returning. I saw a
>> magnificent Sand Goanna cross the Roma-Taroom Rd nr Mooga Mooga Ck. Just
>> missed him, thankfully.
>> I know all the above is only anecdotal but the signs are encouraging.
>> Shane B
>> Brisbane
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