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?