A resident caught the creature in her backyard.

She contacted the NSW Department of Primary Industries for advice on what to do with the creature.

"I was told to take it to my local vet, where he would euthanise it and report it to Primary Industries," she said.

However, Department of Primary Industries invasive species officer Ian Turnbull told the Newcastle Herald that the creature was a Peron's tree frog.

"This financial year, 70 per cent of the reports we've had of cane toads have been misidentified," Mr Turnbull said.

Mr Turnbull said people often put suspected cane toads in the freezer when they can, in fact, be native wildlife.

"That's actually illegal to harm native wildlife," he said.

The department urges those who think they've seen a cane toad to catch but not harm it.

"It might actually be a native frog," a department statement said.

"Wear protective clothing such as disposable gloves, glasses, long sleeves and eye protection before touching it. Watch out for poison. When stressed, cane toads can ooze and sometimes squirt poison from glands behind the head.

"If you can do so safely, keep it in a well-ventilated container with a little water in a cool location."

The department further advises those who find a suspected cane toad to photograph it, record the location and report it.

The department states that these native frogs can often be mistaken for cane toads in NSW: Eastern pobblebonk frog; Giant burrowing frog, Northern banjo frog, Peron's tree frog, Tusked frog, Great barred frog, Ornate burrowing frog, Common eastern froglet and Spotted marsh frog.