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South American Cane Toad

Rhinella marina

Amphibian · family Bufonidae · order Anura

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
Longest recorded life
24.8 years[2]

The South American Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) is an amphibian in the toad family Bufonidae[3]. In the United States it is an introduced species, and NatureServe lists it in Florida and Hawaii[4].

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[5]. In US federal data, the toad is not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe gives it a state rank of SNA in both Florida and Hawaii[6]. USGS lists it as a nonindigenous aquatic species in parts of the country, and calls it exotic[7].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[5] Least concern
USGS nonindigenous aquatic species[7] Listed as exotic in parts of the US

Where South American Cane Toad lives

NatureServe lists it as introduced in Florida and Hawaii[4]. USGS also treats it as a nonindigenous species in parts of the country[7]. People have reported it most often on GBIF in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Puerto Rico and Kansas, but those counts follow where observers look and not how many toads live there[8].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: introduced, state rank SNAHITexas: not recordedTXFlorida: introduced, state rank SNAFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[6].
Show state ranks (2 states)
StateRankMeaning
FloridaSNANot Applicable
HawaiiSNANot Applicable

Lifespan

AnAge lists a clutch size of 10000 for this toad[9]. The incubation period in AnAge is 2 days[10]. Females reach sexual maturity at 365 days[11]. AnAge gives a longest recorded lifespan for a toad in captivity[2]. That is a record and not a typical lifespan[2].

Trait Value
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[2] 24.8 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[9] 10000
Gestation or incubation[10] 2 days
Female maturity[11] 365 days (about 1.0 years)

When to look for it

Observation records on GBIF in the United States are highest in May, June and July[12]. Records are lowest in the winter months[12]. These records show when people look and report, not how many toads there are[12].

January: 240 recordsJanFebruary: 349 recordsFebMarch: 594 recordsMarApril: 768 recordsAprMay: 883 recordsMayJune: 860 recordsJunJuly: 908 recordsJulAugust: 807 recordsAugSeptember: 626 recordsSepOctober: 466 recordsOctNovember: 345 recordsNovDecember: 417 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[12].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January240
February349
March594
April768
May883
June860
July908
August807
September626
October466
November345
December417

Where to see it

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Puerto Rico, Kansas[8]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the cane toad endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act[1], and the IUCN category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[5].
Is the cane toad native to the United States?
No. NatureServe lists it as introduced in Florida and Hawaii[4], and USGS lists it as nonindigenous in parts of the country[7].
How long does a cane toad live?
AnAge gives a longest recorded lifespan for a toad in captivity[2]. This is a record and not a typical lifespan[2].
When are cane toads reported most?
GBIF records in the United States are highest in May, June and July[12]. They reflect when people look and report, not how many animals there are[12].
What other names does the cane toad have?
NatureServe lists Cane Toad and Marine Toad as other English names[13].

Facts and sources

  1. South American Cane Toad is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 24.8 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  3. South American Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) is a amphibian in the family Bufonidae, order Anura. NatureServe Explorer
  4. NatureServe lists South American Cane Toad as introduced (not native) in: Florida, Hawaii. NatureServe Explorer
  5. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe state ranks for South American Cane Toad (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  7. USGS lists South American Cane Toad as a nonindigenous aquatic species in parts of the United States (exotic). USGS NAS
  8. US states with the most GBIF observation records of South American Cane Toad: Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Puerto Rico, Kansas. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  9. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 10000. AnAge
  10. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 2 days. AnAge
  11. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 365 days (about 1.0 years). AnAge
  12. GBIF observation records of South American Cane Toad in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  13. Other English names listed by NatureServe for South American Cane Toad: Cane Toad, Marine Toad. NatureServe Explorer

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.