Cane toads are the fastest-moving amphibians on earth -- but arthritis has become a problem for their rapidly evolving bodies. Introduced 70 years ago into northeast Queensland to kill off the cane beetle, the cane toad has evolved from a slow-moving creature into a "road warrior", according to a report in The Australian. The cane toad, prevalent throughout the Northern Territory, has spread towards the West Australian border and has itself become a pest.
The cane toads have spawned those with bigger front legs and longer back legs. Professors studying them have found spinal arthritis, a condition not present in other amphibians. Arthritis is said to affect 10% of cane toads at the frontline of the invasion. The disease has put the cane toads under stress, causing them to exude toxins from poison glands and making them unable to fight off bacteria in their spines. The presence of the bacteria confirms that the stress of arthritis weakened their immune systems and researchers are trying to take advantage of this to wipe them out. No human has been able to wipe out the poisonous creatures, but it looks like nature is stepping in to solve a huge problem.
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