In 1935, Australian farmers brought cane toads from Hawaii to protect their sugar cane from beetles. Unfortunately, the toads did not eliminate the beetles and there are now more than 200 milion cane toads in Australia. This has become one of Australia’s worst environmental disasters. The toad’s skin is poisonous. ‘Lizards, birds and snakes eat cane toads and then often die,’ explains Dr Ben Philips, of Sydney University. ‘Some species may soon disappear, if we don’t get rid of the toads.’ Recently, scientists have discovered a worm that attacks toads’ lungs and kills them. They are planning to use the worm to fight the cane toad. But they are cautions:‘Before we use it, we will do more research.’ First, the scientists will need to answer some important questions. ‘What will hapen when we put this worm into the Australian environment?’ asks team leader Professor Rick Shine. ‘If the worm only kills the cane toads, it will be good news. But if it attacks other animals, it will destroy species we want to protect.’ At the same time, nature has found a solution. In the last 70 years, the heads of two species of snakes have become smaller. ‘Snakes with small heads eat smaller toads and smaller toads are less poisonous. Uf natural selection works, in twenty years most snakes will have smaller heads. It’s great that nature can solve its problems.’ Said Dr Philips.