The amphibians may have been trying to mate with Monty the python, according to one expert.
These cane toads found an ingenious route to safety when a storm hit – hitching a lift on the back of a python.
The image was captured by Paul Mock, who spotted the unusual sight on his farm in Western Australia.
Paul was checking the state of the dam on his property in Kununurra in the early hours of Monday as a thunderstorm swept through the area bringing around 70mm of rain.
“I went out to lower the spillway and it was already really full,” he told the Press Association. “It has destroyed all the homes where the toads live.”
Paul said there were thousands of cane toads sitting on the grass by the lake.
“Then I nearly stepped on the python,” he said. “It’s a python we know a bit because he hangs around the house. We call him Monty.”
Monty was making for higher ground with the toads on board, and Paul used his smartphone to snap the striking image.
He sent it to his brother who posted the picture on Twitter, to the delight of some experts, one of whom stated the toads were in fact trying to mate with Monty.
Cane toads, an invasive species in the Australian ecosystem, are highly poisonous to many snakes.
They have had a devastating impact on some reptile populations in the country, but some have learned to cohabit with them.
Monty appears to be among those who have no interest in consuming the toads – perhaps because he is interested in bigger prey.
“Monty’s known to eat wallabies,” Paul said. “And he’ll try and eat your chickens.”
SYDNEY (AP) — Mitchell Starc took 31 wickets. Travis Head posted three centuries and tallied 629 runs. Alex Carey completed 28 dismissals.
The bowling, batting and fielding performances feature highly on the all-time lists for Aussies in the Ashes, underscoring Australia's dominance in the 4-1 series win that was completed on Day 5 of the fifth test with a five-wicket in Sydney.
“Yeah, it has been magnificent,” Steve Smith, Australia’s stand-in captain for four of the five tests in the absence of Pat Cummins, said of the individual contributions. “I think everyone’s stood up at different times. (Starc, Head and Carey) were obviously huge standouts, but other guys stood up at different times throughout the series and, you know, that’s what makes a good team.”
The Australians bowled England out for 342 on the fifth morning of the series finale and, chasing 160 for victory, finished 161-5 with Carey hitting the winnings runs and Cameron Green unbeaten on 22. Usman Khawaja was sent into retirement with a guard of honor and a standing ovation.
“It was nice to finish on a high note,” said Smith, who scored a century in the first innings to move up to No. 6 on the all-time list. “We know the importance of every test match with the World Test Championship, so to get the result here and finish the series on a high was incredibly pleasing.”
The Australians retained the Ashes with wins in the first three tests, but England was determined to narrow the margin after its drought-breaking win in Melbourne.
“Tough one to take knowing that we can play a lot better than that, but ... the Australian cricket team, they’ve just been incredible for five test matches," injured England captain Ben Stokes said. “But also, being pretty truthful to ourselves, we’ve done a little bit of damage ourselves.”
The 39-year-old veteran walked to the crease after Smith was bowled by Will Jacks and Australia was 92-3. He was given a guard of honor from the England players, shook hands with Stokes and hugged Marnus Labuschagne.
He got off the mark with a paddled reverse sweep and edged another ball between the wicketkeeper and first slip for another 2.
Labuschagne had a reprieve when he was dropped on 20 by Jacob Bethell and took 16 off the next over, bowled by Jacks, to get the chase down to 41.
That's where Khawaja's 88-test career finished, dragging a delivery from Josh Tongue (3-42) onto his stumps.
He saluted the crowd, then kneeled and kissed the turf in front of a “Thankyou Uzzy” sign that was painted onto the field.
Labuschagne was soon run out for 37 when he took off for a single, only to get sent back by Carey.
At 121-5, it was tense, until Carey and Green combined to usher Australia home.
England resumed on Day 5 at 302-8, a lead of 119 runs, and added 40 more runs.
Starc dismissed Bethell for 154 and Tongue (6) to finish off the England innings and finish the series with 31 wickets at an average of 19.9, a performance that earned him the player of the series honors.
Australia's chase started quickly, scoring 10 in the first over, before Head was caught in the deep for 29.
After getting a major reprieve on a contentious DRS decision on 16, Jake Weatherald misjudged a short ball from Tongue and was caught out for 34.
That DRS ruling added extra spice to the last day of the series.
England reviewed umpire Ahsan Raza’s not out decision to a caught behind appeal against Weatherald from Brydon Carse's bowling.
DRS technology appeared to show a slight murmur when the ball passed the toe of Weatherald’s bat before going through to the wicketkeeper. But TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena deemed there was inconclusive evidence, and upheld the original decision.
The England players were stunned, after watching the DRS replays on the stadium screens, and Stokes had to step in to move Carse away from umpire Raza as he demanded an explanation. Stokes calmly approached the umpire, discussed the decision-making process, and got on with the game.
The total crowd across five days of the fifth test was 211,032, a record for the Sydney Cricket Ground.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australian team celebrate with the Ashes trophy following the final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Australia Usman Khawaja kisses the turf as he leaves the field during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Australia's Jake Weatherald bats during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
England's Brydon Carse, right, and teammate Ben Stokes talk to umpire Ahsan Raza during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
England's Matthew Potts, left, gestures to teammate Jacob Bethell after he was dismissed during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
England's Jacob Bethell bats during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
England's Jacob Bethell bats during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
