Asian toad found near Port Taranaki poses little threat

An Asian toad discovered near Port Taranaki poses a miminal threat, Biosecurity New Zealand says.

A member of the public discovered the dead toad in March and the port's owner, the Taranaki Regional Council, notified the agency.

Biosecurity New Zealand said exotic amphibians could bring with them parasites or pathogens, but the Asian toad was a subtropical or tropical species unlikely to establish itself in this country.

Since 2000 there have been nearly 45 interceptions of Asian toads, mostly at the border - sometimes in luggage carried by travellers returning from Asia.