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There is little argument that the cane toad is an enemy ... but is it an enemy you would recognise?

If you were travelling around the top end of Australia, would you be able to tell the difference between a poisonous cane toad and a bumpy rocket frog or a giant frog? - They look similar but they make very different sounds.

A mobile app developed at UWA aims to help save those native frogs that so often become the victim of mistaken identity.

Pictures, sounds and information on what to look for in different species of frogs and toads are included in the app, developed by UWA's SPICE enrichment program for secondary science teachers, in partnership with The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).

The cane toad app helps to take the guesswork out of identifying invasive cane toads in an effort to prevent the species from spreading further across Western Australia.

Associate Professor in Science Communication at the Centre for Learning Technology, Jan Dook, said the idea came from a student's assignment that caught the attention of SPICE and DEC.

"We had already developed an iPad app teaching resource for year seven students about feeding relationships and ecosystems in the Kimberley region, including how cane toads affect Kimberley ecosystems, and it made sense that this iPhone/iPad app would support that," she said.

"It's turned out to be not only a good educational tool for students in the Kimberley but also for the broader community and travellers to that region."

It's believed that up to two-thirds of small amphibians suspected by travellers to be cane toads are harmless native frogs.

Since the app was launched in May, 430 people have downloaded it, so the developers hope these cases of mistaken identity will decrease.

The original app, from which the cane toad app was developed, the Kimberley Food Web, has been downloaded more than 4,000 times.

The cane toad app is available free from the iTunes store.