 When they emerge , toadlets typically are about 10 – 11 mm ( 0 @.@ 39 – 0 @.@ 43 in ) in length , and grow rapidly . While the rate of growth varies by region , time of year , and gender , an average initial growth rate of 0 @.@ 647 mm ( 0 @.@ <unk> in ) per day is seen , followed by an average rate of 0 @.@ 373 mm ( 0 @.@ <unk> in ) per day . Growth typically slows once the toads reach sexual maturity . This rapid growth is important for their survival ; in the period between metamorphosis and <unk> , the young toads lose the toxicity that protected them as eggs and tadpoles , but have yet to fully develop the parotoid glands that produce bufotoxin . Because they lack this key defence , only an estimated 0 @.@ 5 % of cane toads reach adulthood . 
