Photographed by Bette Jackson



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Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Jackson, out with the wild things. Early efforts to introduce the giant toad to Florida may not have been successful, but efforts continued well into the 1950s. Some escaped at the Miami Airport in 1955. Giant toads hardly seem a lovable pet, but they are often available at pet stores and through biological supply houses for use in biology classes. Thus far, the giant toad seems limited to tropical and subtropical areas, unable to survive cold winters. In tropical and subtropical areas, however, it has become a nuisance and ecological disaster around the world. The presence and abundance of giant toads in an area often go unnoticed because of their nocturnal habits. Like all amphibians, giant toads have a moist skin and if subjected to the drying heat of the day; they can quickly dry out and die. As nightfall approaches, however, the air cools and humidity rises and these toads emerge to feed, sometimes by the dozens from a single small pool. They can climb well, sometimes spending the day in artificial pools surrounded by low rock walls, clambering over the walls like lumbering giants as they emerge or return.