Black American Toad??

[Poly]

Hi everyone!

I have set traps in order to find new toads, all they are is a 1 foot square hole dug in the ground a foot deep, and crickets put in the bottom as bait, when I check in the morning, there is usually 3-4 toads burried in the sand at the bottom, and all the crickets gone

When I checked sunday morning, (there were 2 toads) one toad looked odd, upon further examination, I noticed unlike all the other toads, it was not brownish red, but black...?

I have been looking for a uniquely coloured toad (more red in colour), but I never thought I'd find a black one!

I examined it fully, flipped it on it's belly, looked at it head, and the rest of it's body, and everything is normal. At first I thought something may be wrong with it, but minutes after catching it, I put it in a 2.5 gallon "kritter keeper" it ate 3 large grasshoppers!

My questions are:

1. Is there anything wrong with this toad, or is that just it's unique colour?

2. Is a 10 Gallon large enough for two 1.5" toads?

Thanks,

~Royce

P.S. Here are some photos I snapped off:

[Greg M]

I have heard of black color variants of Southern toads, so a black American toad is not surprising. I don't know if this is a true melanistic individual or not, but it's a neat-looking toad. It sounds like a happy, healthy toad - I would certainly keep it if I was you!

I think a 10-gallon tank is just fine for a pair of 1.5 inch toads - I have a pair of 4+ inch Woodhouse's toads in a 10-gallon tank and they seem happy to me!

[Poly]

Alright, well a pair they are! I'll have to get some more photos of the two at bath time today, then he's all cleaned up!

[Poly]

Here are some more photos!
Here he is!


Both of them soaking:


They seem to get along good, they stay together a lot, and the black one, copies the brown ones actions.



Bufo stalkin' a grass hopper in his patch of grass:

[IrishRonin]

well that is one impressive lookin toad, nice find

[Poly]

well that is one impressive lookin toad, nice find

Thanks! Yeah, I love how he looks, he has a white pin stripe down his back too! Haha