You may be aware of the Guttural Toads recently been found in Noordhoek. At the recent NEAG annual general meeting, we were given a briefing on the problem and requested to distribute the following information to our members and Noordhoek Residents.
To this date only two individuals have been detected and eradicated from Noordhoek.
In addition to the information below please find attached a map of the capture locality in Noordhoek, the guttural toad call, how to identify the guttural toad and information regarding property access.
In 2000 a population of guttural toads was identified on a property in Constantia, Cape Town and reported to CapeNature. This was the first record of the guttural toad in the Western Cape, which is approximately 1050 km beyond its natural range. It is believed that the species may have been introduced from Durban on a consignment of aquatic plants. Initially restricted to an area of about 2 km2, by 2007 the population was shown to be expanding. This prompted the City of Cape Town to take action to eradicate the species.
The primary concern regarding the occurrence and range expansion of the guttural toad in Cape Town is their potential impact on the endemic and critically endangered western leopard toad Amietophrynus pantherinus. The guttural toad and the western leopard toad are suspected to have similar habitat and dietary requirements. It is therefore feared that the guttural toad may displace the western leopard toad through competition for resources. Furthermore the guttural toad is an explosive breeder, breeding for up to six months of the year in Cape Town, whereas the western leopard toad, on the other hand, is known to breed for a period of approximately four weeks between the months July and September.
In February 2009 the City of Cape Town (CoCT) mapped the occurrence of guttural toads. The results of the mapping process indicated that the Cape Town population of the guttural toad had expanded throughout Constantia and down to Alphen, covering an area of approximately 5 km².
Following the initial mapping conducted by the CoCT in 2009, NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. (NCC) was contracted to continue the Guttural Toad Control Programme on behalf of the CoCT in 2010.
NCC has continued to work on this programme until the current 2015/2016 breeding season. It was during this breeding season that guttural toads were detected in Noordhoek for the first time, more than 10km away initial introduction in Constantia. Since the detected invasion in Noordhoek the organisation ToadNUTS have been assisting NCC on the ground by conducting surveys of water bodies in Noordhoek and surrounds in which guttural toads have the potential to occur.
We would highly appreciate if you could circulate this information within the NEAG members to raise awareness about the guttural toad and our programme.
Graca de Abreu and Nicholas Hosking
Invasive Species Implementers
NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd.
Click link below:
Click link below:
Click on play to hear the call: