I was browsing New Scientist stories and one popped up that I thought missed the point of the Cane Toad problem.

Killer ants could take a bite out of cane toad problem

Cane toad (Bufo marinus) young are more susceptible to being eaten by Australian meat ants (Iridomyrmex purpureus) than the young of native frogs, raising the possibility that meat ants might make a safe biocontrol agent, according to a team led by Rick Shine of the University of Sydney.

So are they are thinking of introducing this because it worked for Cane Toads controlling Cane Beetles.. no wait..

this has disaster written all over it

the difference is the cane toad was introduced into australia, whereas the meat ant is native. so the meat ant probably already has native predators to quell its population.

last edited by ravn0s at 22:47:05 30/Mar/09

Do they eat humans?

go to work to get the pay to buy the food to get the strength to go to work.

get the toad to get the cane beetle that gets the crops that feeds the people to produce the cane that get the cane beetle......

or....


I knew an old lady who swallowed a fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I knew an old lady who swallowed a spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed a spider to catch the Fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I knew an old lady who swallowed a Bird
How absurd, to swallow a bird
She swallowed a bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I knew an old lady who swallowed a cat
Imagine that, she swallowed a cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed a bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I knew an old lady who swallowed a dog
What a hog, to swallow a dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed a bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I knew an old lady who swallowed a goat
She opened her throat and swallowed the goat
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed a bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I knew an old lady who swallowed a cow
I don't know how she swallowed the cow
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat,
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed a bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I knew an old lady who swallowed a horse
She's dead of course!

to make the cordial that i like best.

EDIT: e/f/b

this has disaster written all over it

http://www.lpb.org/programs/situationdisaster/SituationDisaster_ttl-1.jpg

since when to goats chase/eat dogs?

A horse on the other hand...
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm190/pointyfork/qgl/horsevdog.jpg

meat ants sound delicous.. where can i pick up some in a handy BBQ pack?

So are they are thinking of introducing

Introducing ? ... that implies non-indigenous or alien. The bit you seem to be missing is Australian meat ants

Makes you wonder why they aren't already eating the toads if they're already here?

Pop-quiz:

What would you prefer?

a). Backyard full of cane toads
b). Backyard full of carnivorous ants

Makes you wonder why they aren't already eating the toads if they're already here?

I rekon the echidnas are eating them all.

So either we bring in some thing that will predate the echidnas or we bring in some funky oversized african ant they like more then meat ants.

Do the ants have large talons?

you mean pincers right?

I, for one, welcome our new meat ant overlords.

HAHAHA perfect.

wacking day imo