Today, my mother was outside removing monkey grass from the back of our yard using a pitchfork. Unfortunately, since it's getting colder, there was a small toad buried where she was digging. I was not there to see what happened at first, but I was told that she had been digging and something squirted into the air (not blood, maybe urine?) and she then stopped to find the underside of the toad in the dirt, at which point I was called over. Since I didn't see what happened, I'm unsure if she hit him directly or just came very close.
When I picked the little guy up, he was (and still is) very bloated. To me, it feels like he's full of air, not fluid, but that's just a guess and I can't be sure. He's moving around pretty normally, but as far as I can tell, it's been roughly 2 hours and he has not deflated at all, which I want to assume he would do if this were a defense mechanism.
Right now, we have him in a large bucket with dirt and leaves for moisture/hiding. We are in a small rural town with no veterinarian and certainly no exotic/reptile specialists. I would like any advice anybody has on whether or not we should be worried and what we can do for the little guy. Thanks in advance.
Hello,
I could be wrong but it sounds like the toad is stressed from being found and placed into a bucket they usually puff up as a defense. since it is very stressed its possible it might remain bloated until it calms down. I am unsure if it is injured at all from the pitchfork but more pictures would help determine if its alright they do release urine when they are startled so the fluid it . Its entirely up to you if you wish to keep it as a pet, if it is too cold to release it then you may be able to keep it (check local regulations about wild pets) or if it seems alright and its before the frost begins in your area they you may also let it loose outside (preferably away from humans) and let Mother Nature take it's course. you can also set up a small plastic tub with a water dish, dirt fake plants and offer feeder insects and observe its behaviour to make sure it's alright. any more questions feel free to ask!
They usually just release the water that they have stored up it's not normally urine.
Everything else that trouthunter said is spot-on. I think it looks more like the toad is getting prepared to hibernate so it might actually be fine if you release it. this is the kind of conditions that they have been preparing for now for a while. It looks like an older toad so I must have hibernated and gone through the seasons before
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