I found a toad, please advise

[PunkMartyr]

Found a toad outside. I live in Pennsylvania. I felt really bad because I had the hose going and it was dripping very cold water right onto his head. The runoff awakened him from his home. I need advice about rereleasing him

Does anyone know if he would be ok if I just put him back? I don't know much about amphibians except that they aren't supposed to be too active during winter.

I have him in a 10 gallon, he is sitting on the leaves and a little decoration i put in for him. The cat likes him heh. Right now I am thinking it would be best to keep him until this summer then let him go.

Any help is appreciated

I have considered doing a terriarium but am thinking of going with an atlantis idea instead, so I don't think long term is a good idea.

[Mr.Jingles]

Keeping the toad could be a fun short term project. Id go for it.

[ChelseaSkinGirl]

I would put him back where I found him if I were you. The longer you keep him the harder if will be for him to adjust back to him home. Think of it like this... If someone was feeding you breakfast in bed every day for months would you want to go catch your own food???

[PunkMartyr]

I dunno, if I thought he would be ok I would put him out there but its 35 degrees out and I don't know much about this stuff, like will he just burrow back into the ground or what?

[Slappy*McFish]

keep him....they make great pets.

[wetmanNY]

The longer you keep him warm, the more his hibernation is broken. Keep him in an unheated room while you decide. Give him some damp paper towel. I don't think you can just put him back out in freezing weather on the back doorstep. Is the ground frozen there in PA?

[latazyo]

he'll be easy to keep

keep him until the sumer, I've caught and released several todas here and they do just fine

feed him small crickets and other such things, amphibian food for more nutrition, etc

and I agree, keep him kind of cold to keep his metabolism down, this could really ruin his "cycle"

[PunkMartyr]

Keep the good advice coming. The aquarium water is relatively cold, colder than I would swim in for sure. Its in the basement. My gf told me toads stay on land more than water, or something along those lines. I think I should build a terrarium. He's very cute and adorable. I think i'm naming him Herbert.

If I build my own terrarium by gathering rocks from outside, any recommendations for how to prep the rocks for the aquarium? Like just wash them really well and make sure the rocks do not come from near a road or runoff area?

[latazyo]

the GF is right, they barely need any water, just enough to keep the skin moist to allow air to seep in (they use their skin as an additional way of breating and also for controling body temp adn this can't done if they are unable to moisten it)

I'd make the terrarium the mojority of land, hell, maybe even all land with a water dish or soemthing for him just to drink and to wet himself (hehe...wet himself)

[wetmanNY]

Give him plenty of leaf litter from the yard and a coconut shell to lurk under. An unheated basement would be about right I'd say.

Frogs and toads swarm with their particular parasites, I know from books. More than fish.

Will PM have to keep changing Herbert's litter to keep him ahead of his parasites?

[PunkMartyr]

Originally posted by wetmanNY
Will PM have to keep changing Herbert's litter to keep him ahead of his parasites?

I don't know does anyone know who has/had a pet toad?

[Forum221]

I have a small toad that my friend cought me to feed to my RDP but after seeing the toad, i decided to keep him. He is living in a 5 gal tank with a screen lid. Make sure you have some kind of lamp that gives off UV light, at first i just had an incandecent and he did fine during the summer because of the light by the window. But now in winter since the lack of light he wasn't doing that good because of lack of UV. To solve the problem i got him a flourecent light and that gives off enough for him. In his tank he has a small rock cave, a rock water bowl and a fake plant. I use a spray bottle simulate rain for him and feed him crickets. He's a great pet. I useto have terrium wood chips from a petstore for the ground covering but if this drys out it smells and he always gets wet then gets wood chips in the water bowl, so i got some carpet from the petstore that goes on the bottom of the tank and it works great. No Parasites

[PunkMartyr]

Wow thats really cool. I'm going to have to remember the spray and cricket thing.

[pinballqueen]

You might want to check to make sure it's legal to keep him. I don't know about your state, but mine has really strict fish/game laws regarding keeping any wild animals, including toads. (I've been researching a native biotope tank, and found out I can't keep much of anything....) If anyone happened to mention your pet to someone who accidentally said something to a game warden, you'd have to pay fines and possibly have your other pets taken as well...

Most of the time they won't say anything, but I personally know a few game wardens that are just mean like that...

[Serrateeth_2002]

Cook their legs and eat it,wait,those are frogs:D

[PunkMartyr]

Originally posted by pinballqueen
You might want to check to make sure it's legal to keep him. I don't know about your state, but mine has really strict fish/game laws regarding keeping any wild animals, including toads. (I've been researching a native biotope tank, and found out I can't keep much of anything....) If anyone happened to mention your pet to someone who accidentally said something to a game warden, you'd have to pay fines and possibly have your other pets taken as well...

Most of the time they won't say anything, but I personally know a few game wardens that are just mean like that...

Thats good warning, but if someone tried to fine me over a common toad i'd probably slash their tires or something relatiatory

[JamisonBWolsh]

They say that some toads you can lick their backs and have a GREAT TIME! Some sort of hulligenic (misspelled) drug...

[PunkMartyr]

Hahaha yeah and I can get my one friend to hook me up with some special mushrooms to decorate the tank with :)

[JamisonBWolsh]

so try and see if that toad is the same one? Lick the back and tell me what happens? :)

[wetmanNY]

Toads are well known to be poisonous-- have you ever seen a dog cough one up?-- retch retch retch. That's why I was surprised to hear of one presented for food.

but it's good to have some light finally shed on Jamison's unnerving posts, eh...

Merry Christmas Herbert!

[JamisonBWolsh]

Originally posted by wetmanNY
Toads are well known to be poisonous-- have you ever seen a dog cough one up?-- retch retch retch. That's why I was surprised to hear of one presented for food.

but it's good to have some light finally shed on Jamison's unnerving posts, eh...

Merry Christmas Herbert!


Wetman..you never heard of Licking a Toads back??? Its secretions are a Known drug.. Its true... I dont know which species of toads though.. I am sure there are many..

[BigFishDude]

I've heard of that, but its just an "urban legend". you can't get high from licking a toads back.

[Mr.Jingles]

you can get sick from licking a toad, but not high. but feel free to lick its back and get various diseases and toxins...

[1 fish 2 fish]

I think that goes for exotic rainforest toads.

Hehe did anyone see that Simpsons episode where Homer becomes a missionary? he sees a toad hop by so he picks it up and licks, and his eyes get dialated, its hilarious.

[JamisonBWolsh]

Yea.. I saw it. Gotta LOVE the simpsons! as homer walks away, he grabs another one and says " ah "

[wetmanNY]

I've always found "The Simpsons" just full of these useful natural history tidbits. Always unerring in the ecological stuff too... like the "Bolivian Tree Lizard" episode...

[Serrateeth_2002]

You won't get sick from licking toads or frogs in a rainforest,you would be dead.Poison arrow frogs and some toads.