NYT: ‘A Toad-Eat-Toad World,’ and Other Tales of Animal Cannibals

Basics
‘A Toad-Eat-Toad World,’ and Other Tales of Animal Cannibals

By NATALIE ANGIER
Published: October 31, 2011

Clockwise from top left: B.G. Thomson/Photo Researchers; Photo Researchers, via Getty Images; Ian Waldie, via Getty Images; and Steffen Schmidt.

Midsize cane toads lure younger cane toads, which the bigger toads then swallow whole. A mother caecilian, top right, stays by her young and literally feeds them herself. Tamarin monkeys don't eat their offspring, except when they do. The female redback spider makes a meal of her mates.

When Richard Shine, a biologist at the University of Sydney in Australia, first heard the mystery of the missing eggs, he feared it was another case of what might be called invasive toadkill. He and his colleagues were studying the cane toad, Rhinella marina, a big, warty, sludge-colored Latin American amphibian that was brought to the continent years ago in an ill-fated effort at beetle control.

Greedy Pike

Wind: WSJ: Attack of the Urban Mosquitoes

LIFE & CULTURE JULY 20, 2011
Wind: WSJ: Attack of the Urban Mosquitoes
Aggressive and Hard to Kill: Two Asian Cityslickers Swarm the East Coast

The latest scourge crossing the country has a taste for the big city.

Fire Ants

Fire Ants

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This image is in the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the Agricultural Research Service, the research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Films: Alpha and Omega (2010)

Films: Alpha and Omega (2010)

Directed by	Ben Gluck, Anthony Bell
Produced by	Richard Rich, Ken Katsumoto
Written by	Chris Denk, Steve Moore
Starring	Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, Dennis Hopper, Danny Glover, Christina Ricci
Music by	Chris P. Bacon
Editing by	Scott Anderson
Studio	Crest Animation Productions
Distributed by	Lionsgate (USA/UK), Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
Release date(s)	September 17, 2010
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million

Where: USA Today: 10 great places to see animals in the w...

USA Today: 10 great places to see animals in the wild

College students aren't the only ones on the move for spring break. Animals are migrating now, too, which makes it a perfect time to see them in parks and refuges. "They're becoming more active. It's a good time to go," says Mark Wexler, editor of National Wildlife, the magazine of the National Wildlife Federation, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. There's always an element of chance involved, but you're almost guaranteed an animal sighting at some locations. Wexler shares favorite spots with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.