h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Cane toads are playing their part for university (and maybe high school) biology students. For the my last biology prac at uni, we disected toads that had been humanely euthaniased by freezing. My toad was a pregnant females with what must have been hundreds if not thousands of eggs in her belly. No wonder they're such successful breeders.

We were told at uni that the cane toad is native to South America and was introduced to Hawaii and then from Hawaii, was introduced to Australia.

In the introduction I say:

The toads reach sexual maturity at 12 months, then breeding season begins in early spring up to autumn, when 8,000 to 35,000 eggs will be laid by the female. All the eggs are fertilised by the male but only approximately half of one percent will become adults.

I know that the toads were introduced to Australia from Hawaii in 1935, if they weren't from Hawaii originally you'd think someone would've said something, to prevent Australia being overrun, wouldn't you?

Yeah, but apparently they weren't as thorough with their research into environmental impact in the 1930s.