Saltwater crocodiles are eating cane toads, and scientists say the predator’s survival could now be reshaping an entire ecosystem. For decades, toxic cane toads have been lethal to native animals that bite them, yet crocodiles appear to be developing a tolerance that changes their role in the food chain.
Cane toads have spread across northern Australia and into the Kimberley wilderness since their introduction in 1935, causing significant harm to native wildlife. Local rangers and researchers are now studying how some predators are adapting to survive alongside them.For decades, eating a cane toad in Australia was almost certainly fatal for native animals. The toads carry potent toxins in glands b…