A concerning rate of "mutant toads" with extra limbs and missing eyes are being found in the industrial Queensland city of Gladstone.

Scott Wilson from Central Queensland University said up to 20 per cent of cane toads in certain areas in Gladstone were found with "malformations", compared with 1 per cent of the population in non-urban areas.

On average, between 6 and 8 per cent of 10,000 cane toads examined across the Gladstone region have been found with abnormalities in the past three years.

Cane toads have been found with a fifth leg growing from their chest, while others have been found with missing limbs.