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

[Poly]

After looking into it, I think this toad is abundistic, as is still has light pigments, either way, love the way it looks! Made my day!

[BG]

Wow Poly you're bating a 1000 today. Those are great looking toads and a wide spread in contrast of color. Good for you. BTW i love the way you collect them. Genius.

[Poly]

Wow Poly you're bating a 1000 today. Those are great looking toads and a wide spread in contrast of color. Good for you. BTW i love the way you collect them. Genius.

Thanks!! Haha, about the way I collect them, I once dug a 5 sq-ft trench across a sandy beach, baited it with 150 crickets, waited two nights and came back... I caught a male that measured 5" accross the back, and a female that measured almost 7", a bunch of smaller ones, about 15 salamanders, and two skinks, but no black toads!

[IrishRonin]

I have to agree your "toad trap" is a great idea, im gonna have to try that. Though I dout i'll ever find a black one, agian great find. I have to agree its probubly abundistic, from what I have read typically adaptive melanism is heritable- you should try and breed them and see if you can produce more blacks. If so I would want one!!!

[Poly]

Hmm, well I'm sure their both males, I'd have to find a female, and if I breed a black and a brown one, won't the toadlets be a mixture, not just black?

Gotta hear it form the experts...: How do you breed toads?

[IrishRonin]

well basic breeding(of anything) shows that you breed a normal to an abnormal you are still likely to produce a a few of the desired coloration. I have "wild" peacocks on my property, at one point 5-6 years ago we had one albino male. At this point we have no adult abinos period but every other year or so they still pop up because its in there blood and thats out of 2 normal parents. So if you keep him and breed him to 2 or 3 females you should be able to produce at least a few. I've never breed toads, but they cant be that different from other anphibians.

[Poly]

Hmmm... I might have to try this...

If I do, your interested in a toadlet?

[IrishRonin]

If you can produce a black then yes, yes i am!

[Glafo89]

If you can produce a black then yes, yes i am!

Finally!! I have been trying to figure out how to post as I just recently became a parent of 4 lol toadlets. I was checking to see if the black coloration is anything to worry about since I have two toads that are black or darker black always while my other two are brown and blonde. I'm glad to hear its likely not caused by some health issue because I've been having a hard time figuring out bugs that are small enough for them to eat that they actually enjoy eating. These are my first toad pets and this site has been my go to for all my questions and worries so thanks to all of you from myself and I'm sure my baby toads thank you all too lol. I'm going to try to add a picture of my black baby toad but I may fail since I don't really know how to use the site besides reading posts so far.

[red green hawk]

My son with black toad caught in Iowa.