A n invasion of poisonous toads in Florida's Palm Beach Gardens has prompted concern among residents of the town.
Thousands of the toxic Bufo toads have swarmed the area, ending up in the pools and patios of people living in the Mirabella neighborhood, WPTV reported.
The amphibians, also known as cane toads, emit toxic secretions that can ki1l animals, CBS 12 reported.
Mark Holladay, lead technician of toad removal company Toad Busters, told CBS Miami that the influx of toads was due to a warm winter, followed by "torrential rain" a few weeks ago. The downpour catalyzed a breeding cycle, Holladay said.
Newsweek reached out to the Florida Environmental Pest Management, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Palm Beach County Health Commissioner but had not received comment at the time of publication.
Many of the toads normally die during the winter, but more forgiving temperatures this year meant fewer of the toads died, Lizz Egan, a media representative from Toad Busters, told The Palm Beach Post. She described the situation as a "toad vortex" and said "weve been fielding calls all day from all the counties. People are all of a sudden inundated with toads."
Holladay told WPTV that more toads would be born in 22 days and would affect "every community in Florida."
Local resident Jenni Quasha told CBS Miami that her children were on spring break and her daughter was afraid to go outside because of the reams of toads. Quasha also told ABC 25 that she thought the lake behind the community was a breeding ground for the amphibians.
The homeowners association disagreed.
"This event is a natural course of nature not having anything to do with an in balance within the ecosystem of the lake. Both Northern and Solitude agreed, the toads are babies of the Bofu (cane) species. The majority of the babies will die. The opinion is that this is an isolated occurrence not derived from the lake," a message from Lang Management said in a letter to residents, according to CBS 12. "It is suggested, to avoid attracting toads to areas where pets are, do not leave pet food in open dishes in the yard. Bufos are attracted to dogs' watering dishes and may sit in the rim long enough to leave enough toxin to make a dog ill."