Australia's battle with the formidable cane toad is so legendary; it was even referenced in a Simpson's episode. Cane toads were introduced to control the beetles that were troubling Australia's sugar cane plantations, but they quickly hopped beyond the fields. Both the tadpoles and the adult toads are highly toxic to most animals, so the snakes, lizards, and crocodiles that chomp down on toads don't live to regret it.

Biologists are experimenting with a number of control strategies, but the most interesting recent idea is to encourage Australia's native meat ants (in contrast to the crazy ants of the previous slide) to hunt the juvenile toads. Researchers found that the ants are immune to the toads' poison, and can act together to take down small toads. Scientists may soon experiment with starting ant colonies in toad-infested territory.

Status: Working on It