Field Report 18 th-19 th February 2006 . KTB team leaders Addie Meredith and Rod King

Rod and I got lucky and were allocated the beautiful Jasper Gorge down the Buchanan Highway to check for toad invasion. We counted 30 creeks, floodways and channels on the way although many of these were dry. With so many potential areas to investigate we selected to scrutiny the creeks closest to the Victoria Highway as well as the main creeks leading into Jasper Creek. We are ecstatic to report that we did not find any sign of tadpoles, metamorphs or adult cane toads in any of the creeks nor on the road. What we did see was plenty of native wildlife including fish, crocs, eagles, hawks, frill necks, spiders and the tracks of water monitors. We had a good look around Jasper Creek and two of its tributaries further south down the Buchanan at night and the only thing moving was definitely native.

The following day we decided to head further south and arrived at the Victoria River crossing early afternoon. We met the former manager of Victoria Downs Station who assured us there had been no sign of cane toads. In addition, we heard from a Yarralin resident that fish and wildlife hunting was still good in the area, another reassuring sign that cane toads are not present.

We started for home on a bit of a high but this bubble was soon burst once we hit Timber Creek. Around 1km west we found our first cane toad. Ten more hit the bottom of our bag until just after the Bradshaw Bridge. We checked out a couple of water filled ditches and culverts but all the toads caught were either on the road or just on the grass verge.

Cane Toad Tally

All between 10 and 12cm in length

6 females, 3 gravid

5 males

Wildlife spotted

Jasper Creek Campground (day and night) - 16 ◦01.868 S 130 ◦48.165 E

Croc (probably freshie)

Large fish

Archer fish

Minnows

Frill neck lizard

Birds (Kookaburra, black and white Cockies, Eagles, Hawks, Bower, two types of parrot)

Spiders with fluorescent eyes

Kangaroos

Jasper Creek (night) - 16 ◦101.657 S 130 ◦47.224 E

Large fish

Archer fish

Minnows

Spiders with fluorescent eyes

Kangaroos

Young native toad (brown, no markings)

1 st creek south of campground (night)

Freshwater croc

Minnows

Spiders

Kangaroos

Similar wildlife found in all other locations checked. Native frogs and toads were noticeable by their absence. Although we heard a few, the only one we saw was a young, unidentified (but definitely not cane) toad at Jasper Creek at night