In 1935, native beetles were wreaking havoc on Australia’s sugar cane crops in Queensland. The beetle larvae lived in the soil and chewed on sugarcane roots, stunting growth or killing the plants.

1935: Cane toads brought to Australia to control Queensland’s cane beetles. Sugar cane was brought to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788. There were repeated small-scale attempts to grow the crop ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Brought in to address a problem, cane toads now represent ...