The cane toad, or rhinella marina, was introduced to the hawaiian islands in 1932 by sugar cane farmers the farmers released the toads in their crops to control pests that were damaging the sugar cane the cane toad has few natural predators because it secretes a poisonous that kills the animals that consumes it as a result, the cane toad population thrived, and by 1935, it numbered hundreds of thousands which role does the cane play in the hawaiian islands?