Hello all, meet my american toad friend, Banjo.

[yoshimi]

This is Banjo the night I found him hopping down the street. Sept 28th 2012, a dark and rainy night in MA, and I scooped him up walking home from work. Pretty sure it's an Eastern American toad, no idea if it's a boy or a girl, so I just called it a "he". Better than "it". Don't know when he was born, but my guess is Spring 2012. If anyone has any other guesses on anything, it'd be appreciated. I've seen him shed twice, about a month apart, and he's grown considerably. Here he is Dec 20th 2012 He's not hibernating; instead he eats like a pig and climbs that plant to get some rest. He used to burrow and he still does sometimes, by the food bowl waiting for a refill. It's really cute to see him climb the fake plants (1st time he did it, was the real plant I have in there with leaves that look like lily pads. I took him out of it only to have him climb back up and sit on the leaves.), but I am concerned as this doesn't seem to be normal toad behavior. I thought maybe he needed more ground covering so I cut down the stem on a fake plant so it was more like a bush, but he climbs that too. Even when he's way up (he lives in a 56-qt sterlite tub minus the cat who only did this once) , he doesn't hop out when the lid's off. I use EcoEarth coconut substrate (the bricks), and recently I was told it can cause problems if ingested. I'm bummed that I have to find another substrate when I thought I'd found the best one. It's the dirt that's on his skin when he sheds that I'm concerned about.
He eats out of a plastic salsa bowl that I found at the grocery store. Smooth sides means no escapees. I feed him baby dubia roaches (have a (mostly) adult set-up, currently waiting for them to breed), phoenix worms, and very seldom and only recently, mealworms. Fed off the last of the crickets about a month ago.
I don't know what the future holds for us. I tried to let him go free twice before it got cold, and he just sat there, looking so small and vulnerable. I'd love to keep him forever, but his happiness matters more than what I want. Here he is just being awesome:
Toadily yours,
Crystal

[yoshimi]

being a hover-mom when it comes to this toad, if i don't see poops for a few days i begin to worry. been doing the warm water soak which usually works, and tonight i found something odd. in a clump i found 4 seemingly dead phoenix worms all stuck together. i didn't think much of it at first because i can usually sift through the dirt and find a few escapees. in fact, under that clump were a couple live worms. I was thinking there was no way that was his poop, but then i did the weirdest thing and sniffed one. then i sniffed a live one. the nose knows it was a poop. i'm really hoping this isn't a serious thing. he seems fine, and i gave him another soak. anyone know how often he should be pooping? i feed him every day. but i don't find waste every day.

[Lina]

What a cute little fellow! I understand your worries about Banjo's health. Got my first frog last week and really want to give it proper conditions and a good life. Don't have any children but start to realize what parenthood is about. I remember reading something about phoenix worms not always being digested and managed to find the actual thread: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...rms-no-no.html There you can find suggestions of how to deal with the problem.

My african bullfrog usually poops at night in the water bowl. Every third day I don't feed and then s/he usually will not poop. I guess there can be differences between species when it comes to how often it's natural for them to poop. I'm not so experienced yet so unfortunately I can't give you any good advise regarding that.

Coco fiber should be safe to use, it's coco husk that should be avoided. When I bought my frog I didn't know there were two types of coconut based substrates and got the wrong one. Luckily Lija noticed that on a photo I posted and adviced me to change. On your pics it looks like you have the coco fiber.

I hope everything will be fine with Banjo, please keep us updated with more photos as he grows!

[yoshimi]

thanks so much for replying! as soon as i scooped him up and interrupted his journey, i knew i had to do my best for him. he was healthy when i got him, so he needs to stay that way. problem was, no one i know has frogs at all, and info on his species is slim out there. i spent hours researching, but everything he does that doesn't fit makes me worry. i joined Frog Forum 2 days after i abducted him, but didn't post for fear i'd be chastised for the kidnapping and because he's not one of the popularly kept frogs or toads. nothing too exotic or exciting about him, but i find him enthralling. then i realized that ANY help over here is valuable. they might be different species with different needs, but more similarities than i'd find say, at a bird forum. plus, you all love frogs. right there is a good reason to share.

little man seems active and is waiting for food right now. as always. i read the original conversation quoted in that thread, and it was more like a forum fight between 2 fly larvae companies. one said that phoenix worms can sit on a shelf and get old and tough before they get fed off, and the phoenix worm people were all mad about that. then they admitted it happens, and suggest poking holes. truthfully, i ordered 2 cups of them recently and one was obviously older, as it had some black ones and even some that weren't moving. that's the one i've been feeding out of, even some of the black ones who were still wiggling. those may have been passed too without me noticing, dunno, but i doubt it. so i guess i can poke holes in the last survivors living in old cup, or freeze and toss the lot to start feeding out of new cup. i'm not giving up on phoenix worms just yet, cuz this was the 1st i've ever seen them as poo like that. they were most definitely dead, btw. it would be very creepy to realize that the ones i've been finding who've buried themselves in dirt were not escapees but actually poop. ew. PERHAPS, tho he doesn't necessarily need heat, it HAS been quite cold here the past few days, and altho his tank is comparatively warm, a temp drop may be affecting his digestion when not in a warm bath. tho not his appetite. happens with other bug eating critters.
i'm quickly running out of feeder dubia and my roach breeding won't produce for another few weeks. the only other thing i have is mealworms and if i'm worried about impaction that's the last thing i want to be using regularly, or at all... i swore off of crickets, but i'll probably go get 50 from petco. half the price of baby dubia, but twice as annoying. i've handled them before, i can do it again. and 50 is manageable. there, i talked or typed myself into a plan.

banjo has only pooped once right in the bowl, and only when i'd heated up some water for a soak. the rest of the time, i have to look for it. i WISH he went in the bowl like a cat in a litter box! but it's not that difficult to find; he makes a depression in the dirt and i've even watched him "go". digs a semi-hole like he's going to burrow then does his business. the worms i found were in such a depression (moreso if they'd been alive, i guess). since he's not quite grown up yet, i feel like i need to feed and dust his food with vitamin or calcium every day. i also give him snacks or 2nd meals sometimes, which has made him fat... he can stand an experiment for a day, i think.

i didn't know there was a difference either, between the 2 substrates! i just checked my package and it said "compressed coconut fiber expandable substrate" phew. i could've sworn i'd read that it was right for him, which is why i stocked up. i'll still do my best to make sure he's not eating it. gets hard cuz he enthusiastically climbs into food bowl to get at food sometimes. brings his dirt with him. ah well.

i'm definitely not going anywhere, and i'll be taking pics. most end up being through translucent plastic, but with focus on, all his glorious detail is visible. thanks so much for kind and helpful words.

[kueluck]

Banjo’s a cutie, and the worms post is mine, haven’t gone back to them since. Native toads are so easy and forgiving when it comes to care. Mine do best at temps 68 to 75 with humidity around 50%. I feed mostly red runner roaches, butter worms, earthworms (not red wigglers) & crickets just for a change. Keep the photos coming, can’t get enough of the toads.

[yoshimi]

He's living a little warmer than room temp, which is about 70. Or less, cuz he's in kitchen which is connected to bathroom which has no heat, and it's 22 outside right now. I don't have thermometer in there, cuz it's in roach breeding bin. And I don't have a humidity gauge at all, but if I did, again it'd be in roach bin as I'm newer at breeding them than I am at Banjo. I can tell when my house gets too cold cuz his tank fogs up. I'm sitting here drinking hot coffee and I'm still cold but he's not foggy so I think I'll change his dirt/clean tank this afternoon to warm him up and hunt for hidden poop.

I'll have to google red runner roaches, as I've never heard of them. Dubia was my 1st choice and we both love them. When I 1st got him, I ordered pricey silkworms and phoenix worms from Mulberry Farms, and he ate maybe ONE silkworm and the rest just died. he ate 2 phoenix worms on 1st introduction but no more after that until recently when most of them were dead. That's why I purchased more, before now he's decided he likes them. This was the 1st time he's passed any. I considered butterworms, but they're too big for him I think, and too fatty maybe. Hornworms look great but also too big for him. I know earthworms are great, but he lived with 2 in the 1st bit that he was with me and didn't give them glance. Maybe he was just nervous back then. I agree about not wanting to cut them up. But I heard red wigglers were recommended and smaller? If he could learn to eat worms, that'd be the best. There're supposed to be so good for them.

How often do your toads poop? I don't know how many you care for, but I'm going with plural because if I came across another I'd likely take it home and eventually introduce as a tankmate for Banjo. Really wish he wasn't by himself. I see all over the place how 2 toads are better than one. But I've only ever spotted one other toad and it was hopping into my bf's yard (not that dangerous, he wasn't about to mow or anything), so just watched him go on his way. And that was years ago.

Your avatar toad is awesome. Do you know at what age their throats turn dark if they're boys? Can you tell at all about how old my Banjo is? Probably not, not enough reference pics. He used to fit well on 3 fingers and now I'd say he's a 4-fingered toad. Can't believe how much he's grown in just under 4 months. Tho when I say it like that, doesn't seem that crazy. He was just a little nugget when I kidnapped him. <3

[yoshimi]

Gail, you are my new hero.

[kueluck]

You really need to have a thermometer and hydrometer in the tank so you can make sure the temps and moisture are within correct numbers to keep Banjo healthy.

Sexing: As for when the darkened throat shows up, I really can't remember how old Rufus was when this happened. Rufus will be two this spring. Try cupping him in your hands, hold him tight and see if he chirps or vibrates, either one indicated it's male.

Pooping. Usually the next day after he/they eat. Sometimes in the water dish, sometimes on the surface, ya just never know.

Room mate. If you get another toad this coming spring you'll need to put the new one in quarantine (60 days) to make sure it's healthy. Also they need to be close in size, a toad will eat whatever it can fit in it's mouth when hunger, and that mean babies.

Food Items. Feeder Source is were is get my red runners, get the small ones, better to eat lots of little ones than chock on a big one. Also you can feed small wax worms as a treat, and butterworms are a little less fattening. Rufus LOVES butterworms.

I have 6 that I know of. 4 have been in hibernation since late fall, Morph comes up about once a month, Rufus, my favorite is out about every other day.

Tha avatar is my Rufus.

[yoshimi]

You really need to have a thermometer and hydrometer in the tank so you can make sure the temps and moisture are within correct numbers to keep Banjo healthy.

-I know, and definitely for Summer. I didn't know his humidity was as important. I shall get him one.


Sexing: As for when the darkened throat shows up, I really can't remember how old Rufus was when this happened. Rufus will be two this spring. Try cupping him in your hands, hold him tight and see if he chirps or vibrates, either one indicated it's male.

-I've handled him, cupped in hands not tightly, just tightly enough to prevent hop-outs onto the floor. I've felt his belly for lumps and never has he made a single sound or vibrated. I'll try again a bit later in the way you suggest. He may be a boy and just not vocal about it. I'm kind of hoping he's a she tho.


Pooping. Usually the next day after he/they eat. Sometimes in the water dish, sometimes on the surface, ya just never know.

-Hmm, so that should be daily for him. The boy's not regular. He only pooped in his dish once, when i'd warmed up the water 1st. Other times I warm it up and he gets out and poops somewhere else later.


Room mate. If you get another toad this coming spring you'll need to put the new one in quarantine (60 days) to make sure it's healthy. Also they need to be close in size, a toad will eat whatever it can fit in it's mouth when hunger, and that mean babies.

-I knew about the quarantine thing, but mostly to get out all the outside things a new toad would have inside him like parasites and things Banjo wouldn't be used to making them harmful. I doubt I can find another. Where would I go? The pond where I think he was born? Or just walk around rainy evenings looking at the ground? I could do both.


Food Items. Feeder Source is were is get my red runners, get the small ones, better to eat lots of little ones than chock on a big one. Also you can feed small wax worms as a treat, and butterworms are a little less fattening. Rufus LOVES butterworms.

-I like that you can put butterworms in the butter shelf in refrigerator... I'll have to look into red runners more. Some things about them worry me, like speed and being able to breed in my house.


I have 6 that I know of. 4 have been in hibernation since late fall, Morph comes up about once a month, Rufus, my favorite is out about every other day.

-How do you get them to hibernate? Banjo is always out unless he's burrowed or up a plant, resting. And every day or night, he's back out looking for food or sitting around.


Tha avatar is my Rufus.

-I know and I love the bugger.

I haven't got the reply with quotes thing down yet.

[kueluck]

I prefer boys. I lost my Rosie last year, she was egg bond and died and I don't want to go thru that again. As for finding toads, once spring is here and you have a pond close by. Well that place should be “hoppin'” w/amphibians breeding. But remember that for every one toad or frog you remove from the wild, you are removing thousands since there were able to make it to breeding age. If you really want an adventure, gather a few eggs and raise your new toads from tads. Toad spawn looks like a string of black pearls, unlike frog spawn that is usually in clumps. Raise up several and you can always release the others since you know where they came from without worry of introducing new pathogens to the area.

Not sure why you want Banjo to hibernated, enjoy em' while you can. It's very sad to see an empty tank with no movement in it. Rufus went back under again and I haven't seen him in a couple days. Red Runner roaches can't climb smooth glass or plastic, so unless you drop one they'll stay in their container.

Reply with quote, start you typing here, just before the bracket [QUOTE

[yoshimi]

Oh I'm so sorry, she was a doll. I think I read about that when browsing through toad posts a while back. And I see now your signature.

Was worried about Banjo making noise and attracting my cats. Plus, knowing he was looking for a lady would make me sad. I'm still considering letting him go by the pond where I think MAYBE he came from in the Spring/Summer. Part of me wants to sit and wait til he mates then bring him back home. Heehee. If he did come from there, it was a long hop. I even tried to trace his possible routes on google maps: A is the large pond separated by a road, and B, C, or D is where I may have found him (it was dark, I was paying attention to him, not what street I was on), and the yellow square off to the right is my house, my destination. Don't know what Banjo's destination was, but I interrupted his journey. I think it was C or D, which would be .3 miles (tho I'm sure he'd been spending time in people's backyards and wherever toad's hang out.).

So you can see this is just an educated guess on where he came from and it might very well be wrong. There's a nature path down to the left of that map that I never knew existed til I went for toad walks looking for any others. All I found were huts made of sticks and one with a hat, haha, that I guess were made by beavers. My bf and I take walks when it's nice down that road that separates the pond. I'll definitely be looking out for tiny toads as well as listening for their calls. Also, can't wait to take him down that path and showing him the beaver house with a hat.

I would love to have a pal for Banjo, but I still feel bad taking him out of circulation as it is. It's just that he was hopping on the sidewalk on the main road in my town. So I agree, best to let them do their thing if they were plucky enough to survive and grow legs. I doubt I could raise tadpoles. Not at this stage in my learning process. Maybe something to attempt a little later in life when I have the knowledge and experience.

I don't necessarily want him to hibernate, I was just wondering why and how yours were when Banjo has spent this winter so far just eating and growing. Do you make it cold for them? Or is it just something normal toads do, regardless? Could it be healthier, since it's what he'd be doing if I hadn't interrupted everything? I like that he's grown and gotten fat instead of burrowed and gone to sleep, but I hope I didn't hurt him somehow. He'll be the biggest kid in his class.

I like that any dubia I drop either inside or outside of tank, i can just catch with no problem. If one gets on my hand, I can get him off easily. Freaks me out to think of one skittering up my arm, or under the stove. And since I'm raising dubia, in a few weeks, I'll be roach-rich. My roach supplier (westcoast roaches (they're actually in NC, so the name is misleading and a mystery to me)) doesn't sell them and I'd feel like I was cheating on them. They've been so good to me. I already purchased mealworms from someone else, and I feel bad about it, but I only wanted a small-ish amount and they sell 500 and up. Have only given him mealworms two or three times, i think, and only after I'm sure he's pooped. Main reason I'm so concerned with his bathroom habits. Wish I hadn't bought them at all. He loves them and powder sticks nicely, but it's so difficult to find ones that have just molted. Blah.

I'll practice with the quoting. Thanks!

[kueluck]

Mine hibernate on their own, haven't done anything special. Studies show that frogs (all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads) that hibernate have a longer life spans, how much longer doesn't say, just longer. And I've tried to feed dubias, but they spit them out when they get them in their mouth. They also just burrow down and hide if not in a feeding dish. My toads have enjoyed the “thrill” of the hunt w/the red runners.

[yoshimi]

Dang it. He's up right now and when I was making coffee at kitchen counter (he lives on top of my fridge), he was looking at me like, "Helloooo, food?" I haven't given him anything since a few mealworms after that phoenix worm debacle a few nights ago. He pooped out 7 or 8, and at least one was still alive. No more of those. He goes nuts for dubia and they're easy to dust with vit/calcium. The reptivite is especially fine, so if too much is on a roach, he'll sort of flick it with his tongue, but if it gets out of bowl, I just pick it up and put it back in. They're usually stunned so it's easy. I'd be stunned if someone flicked their tongue at me and I went flying too.

I asked my roach people about red runners and they don't sell them. If ever he loses his taste for dubia (hope not tho, cuz i'm trying to breed them and close to seeing the 1st litter), I'll try your supplier. Aside from the speediness, they sound like a good feeder.

I found a guy on craigslist trying to get rid of 3 american toads about 2 hours from me. They're living in a whiskey barrel, which just wouldn't work here. I only see 2, but that means nothing. If he ever gets back to me, I'm hoping I might be able to get one or maybe two, tho I like his water dish and hide. Should I get all 3, I'd have to go buy something bigger, and I can't afford a 40 gallon aquarium. But Home Depot has a 106-quart clear latching bin for $18, tax included. Not the home depot down the road from me, but it's only half an hr away. I got excited and started researching. And again, this kid hasn't returned my email(s) yet, but it was only last night. My bf will kill me, but if Banjo had company, maybe he'd start exhibiting more normal toad behavior. Like not sleeping in plants. He's almost his full grown size (if he's a he), so not worried about a big size difference. Wish me luck!!

[kueluck]

Have you tried feeding him nightcrawlers? You can get them at Walmart in the sporting section. I get these for my garter snakes, DMF Canadian nightcrawlers, NOT the Trout Worms. If they look to big you can always cut them in half, they continue to wiggle around for a bit so it should attract Banjo. Nightcrawlers are one of the most nutritious foods for amphibians and reptiles. Just put them in a dish so they don't get covered in
substrate. If I were you, I would snag all of the toads if he gets back in contact with you. The bin hat Home Depot would work great in the mean time. You can always upgrade later on, watch craigslist for tanks, or if you have a Petco they have the $1 per gallon sale twice a year. And as for your BF, just tell him it's “love me, love my toads”. Not sure why he sleeps in plants. Do you have different hides for him? Post a top view of his home please, that is if you're open to suggestions.

[yoshimi]

i've heard earthworms were great, very nutritious. the idea of cutting them up sounds so awful tho. and if he didn't go right after them, they'd just die, all cut into pieces. maybe the other toads (if i get them) will show him how to eat them.

this is what it used to look like, not too long ago: only the crickets went into that seed starter cup, tho he did a few times, but never for too long. eventually it disintegrated as it was designed to and I threw it away. In the very beginning, he had flower pots (clean) and chose to hide behind a flat rock, so now that's all he really has besides the plants. And he chooses the plants. I tried cutting one down to size to be more ground level, but he just climbs that too. So I really like that log hide thingy that the kid on craigslist has. I'm assuming it's hollow, and hopefully not moldy or anything. I have a plant that in a bigger tank, would be perfect and the pot it's in is easy to make a doorway in. I'm a petco pals member and I'll be on the lookout for that $1 a gallon sale. In the meantime, I'll get him some hides. Do they prefer something open on both sides? I have a 2pk of unused opaque tumblers that I've been considering trying out as a dark place for him to crawl into. Also wag.com has a cheap dome hut but I wasn't sure if it'd be too small... T-Rex Dome Home - Free Shipping and T-Rex Crab Shack - Free Shipping I'd like something like this tho, Zilla Bark Bends - Free Shipping

*haha, it says free shipping but for orders under $49, it's $4.99, but usually arrives via fed-ex the next day. this is the place i buy his substrate from. 15% off for new customers with promo code. "wag" or "wag15"

**that water dish is now a roach food bowl and the food dish is his water dish. i read that plastic water bowls were no good as they seep out toxins.

[yoshimi]

Not sure why he sleeps in plants. Do you have different hides for him? Post a top view of his home please, that is if you're open to suggestions.

I cut a doorway in translucent bowl I never use, washed out of course and sprayed with treated water. sanded and melted down any rough edges. Put it in tank and surprisingly it fit well, not too cramped. After his meal and bath, (his choice), he went up tree but I wanted him to at least try it so i sort of gently scooted his lil butt into it. He walked the rest of the way in, stayed for a few min, then went back up tree. I can't find my camera now, after taking pics of more worms he pooped out early this morning. We'll see if he uses it later tonight. And I'll find camera (gotta be around here somewhere) and get pics.

[UncleChester]

I cut a doorway in translucent bowl I never use, washed out of course and sprayed with treated water. sanded and melted down any rough edges. Put it in tank and surprisingly it fit well, not too cramped. After his meal and bath, (his choice), he went up tree but I wanted him to at least try it so i sort of gently scooted his lil butt into it. He walked the rest of the way in, stayed for a few min, then went back up tree.

Don't take it personally if it doesn't do what you want:P. Leave it be and give it time to explore the new addition on its own.

I'll second earthworms as a great food option and kijiji or Craigslist for a place to look for used tanks. As a bonus, you don't really need yours to be water tight above a couple inches (if at all) so tanks with slow leaks that are useless as fish tanks can sometimes be had at terrific deals.

[kueluck]

Oh my gosh, CORK BARK, I love it, the toads love it, the snakes love it. It's pretty rot-resistant & easy to clean with soft toothbursh. Cork Bark Flats - Wood you can get pieces that will fit your set up, actually see the pieces you are ordering. And beside going to a reptile show, so jealous you have one in your area this weekend. I haven't found a place with better prices than Joshs Frogs.

Here's pics of my 40 gallon breeder tank for my toads.

[yoshimi]

wow that looks crazy nice. better than what they'd be living in outside, i think. more realistic that reality. hah!

[kueluck]

This tank has been growing for over 2 years now. I love the smell of it when I open the lid, like being out in the woods.