By SAMANTHA GHOLAR
sgholar@newssun.com
SEBRING - Al Bowles' dog almost got a nasty surprise.
Bowles discovered a toxic Amazon bufo toad by Al Bowles after his schnauzer had chased it through their yard late Thursday morning.
"She had tried to run it down, but it got away from her. I put it in a trash can first then after it jumped out of there, I put it in a five-gallon bucket and it jumped out of there too," Bowles said.
Bowles had caged the five-inch toad and planned to show it to his neighbors in the Sebring Heights neighborhood. The toads, which have been known to grow up to nine inches, have been migrating through southern and central Florida.
The bufo toad is attracted to pet food that is left in the yards of pet owners and have been known to kill small dogs. The toads have deep glands on the back and sides of the body where a substance is secreted as a defense against predators.
The toxin can be harmful to human and lethal to smaller pets. There have been a few previous discoveries of the bufo toad in Highlands County. The one Bowles found is the fourth, according to a University of Florida study.
Sunday, August 29, 2010 - www.newssun.com/0829-SG-Deadly-Toad