Australians. Hate. Cane toads.

They have every reason to. Introduced in the 1930s from Hawaii to control native cane beetles, cane toads failed in their mission miserably. But they have since reproduced like rabbits on crystal meth, taking Australia’s ecology by storm. They are also studded with bufotoxin-laced warts, which are poisonous enough to kill hungry local crocodiles, let alone beloved pet dogs. Australians are often encouraged to slaughter the buggers wherever they find them, and one scientific research project is in the works to turn them all male, causing population collapse.

All the same, some Australians find themselves with a grudging respect for these seemingly unstoppable creatures. A 1988 documentary, Cane Toads: An Unnatural History, approached the subject with fantastically deadpan Australian humour. And a 2003 short film, ‘What Happened to Baz?‘ won the Best Comedy award at the St. Kilda Film Festival.

So inevitably, they have been turned into fashion accessories. Cane toad purses, wallets and handbags are a common sight throughout this island continent, land of Waltzing Matilda and Stirling Mortlock. Their carcasses can serve as fertilizer, and properly prepared - skinned, their poisonous glands removed - general agreement is that they taste like chicken. Because with an estimated two hundred million toads to go around, there’s no reason to let them go to waste.