As many of you know, we have to travel to Hawaii to visit family.
Go ahead and pull out your violin for me now...
I know its hard but you do have to keep up the family relations!
This trip was especially memorable because my son became engaged
while we were there. 
AND I got to see a giant Cane Toad!
cane toad (Rhinella marina) formerly Bufo marinus
Click here to hear them.
These toads are invasive to Hawaii and can also be seen in Texas and Florida. They were introduced to Hawaii about 50 years ago from Australia to cut down on the insect population in the sugar cane fields. Interestingly, the Florida toads are 100% toxic while the Texas and Hawaii toads are about 5% toxic. When this non-native species is threatened or handled, it secretes a highly toxic milky substance from its large parotoid glands at the back of its head, behind the ears. This secretion can burn your eyes, may irritate your skin, and can kill cats and dogs if they ingest the secretion.
Symptoms of Giant Toad poisoning in pets include drooling, head-shaking, crying, loss of coordination, and, in more serious cases, convulsions.
We saw one in the middle of the road near a waterway so I got out of the car and got a nice shot of him. Needless to say I did not bring him home or pick him up. I thought it was cool how he was holding his front hands on the road.
In my next blog I'll tell you what we saw on our biking trip. You wont want to miss it!
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