My boyfriend's friend from Australia recently came to visit. Being the amphibian enthusiast (and slightly ignorant to worlds outside of her own) I promptly asked him about native amphibians. He said that Australians love their "Green Tree Frogs" (our White's Tree Frogs here in the states) but when it comes to Cane Toads, he got livid. He said that because of the ecological terror they present in Australia, they hate them. There are mass killings of the toads, and unfortunately they get fashioned into unique items such as purses. It's hard for me to imagine Cane Toads being a pest, as all our local toads here (Western Toads) are completely precious and adorable. But they are native. They don't cause other frogs and animals to become extinct.

It's definitely cruel. Back in college I did a presentation on the problems of Cane Toads, and even displayed pictures of the purses as some of the possibilities the toads face. It's a touchy subject, and begrudgingly I do need to admit that they probably need to be removed from Australia. All I pray for is that these toads do not suffer, and are not an example of cruelty to others. I wish I had all the answers, but I can safely say I don't plan to sport one of those purses any time soon.