Hi all

[RyanD]

Hey everyone I'm new to the forum and just wanted to say hello and ask a few quick questions about a really friendly toad I found in my backyard yesterday morning. I haven't ever "domesticated" a toad or frog before and kept them as an actual pet but I usually see them every spring when they head down to a local pond near my house. I have been planning on getting a pet for a while and was thinking of a reptile and this guy just happens to be hoppin around my backyard. She hopped right up to me and just sat there looking at me so I figured was either fearless or sick at first but since then she has eaten regularly and has been jumpin' around in the current enclosure I have her in. It's just a simple 10 gal aquarium with organic soil and some grass and leaves as cover but it works and I plan on adding more to it. I'm not worried about feeding her since there is an abundance of loud annoying crickets and night crawlers around my house easily found all over my yard. Anyway, here are a few pics. then a few questions.

As you can see she's not exactly camera shy or about being finicky when handled either.
For the questions I have: From these pictures can anyone tell me the gender (been calling it a female) and age? Also, I'm fairly certain it's an Eastern American Toad as I live in Massachusetts but I could be wrong about that too and It could be a fowler's toad or even a hybrid of the two.
Also, does anything look wrong/off with her? I know its hard to really tell from just pictures but everything else has been normal from what I've read. Just want to make sure before making the decision to keep and name her.
Lastly, what signs do toads make that they are ready for hibernation? I know its coming soon and want to make sure I slowly lower the temperature for her when she's ready.

Thanks in advance and hope to hear from you guys soon.

[Mentat]

Hello and welcome to FF Ryan ! Congrats on your new pet toad; looks like it picked you instead of vice versa . First of all, please read this care guide: Frog Forum - Toad Basics - Keeping ground-dwelling Toads. A care sheet for Bufo, Anaxyrus, Spea, Scaphiopus, Ollotis, Alytes, Pelobates. That will give you the knowledge to care for it.

Very important is that all water used in the enclosure is dechlorinated (myself use Seachem Prime or ExoTerra Aquatize on tap water). The toads water dish (big enough for it to fit and filled to toads chin level) should be cleaned in hot water and refiled daily.

Best substrate is either EcoEarth or Plantation Soil shredded coco. Mix it with dechlorinated water until slightly damp and clumps in fist without dripping water out. Recommend a depth equal to toad's height so it does not burrow too deep and you can monitor it better. Then add one or two silk plants, a slab of cork or similar to create a hide out, and cover back and two sides of enclosure with aquarium background or any paper you like. Eventually you want to upgrade to a 20L tank; watch Petco $ a gallon sale for a good deal and get a screen top for it too.

Need to use food supplements, more info on that in here: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html. If you or close neighbors fertilize, use insecticides, or add similar chemicals to yard; it's not recommended to catch the toads food in there. If so; can get Night Crawlers (not dyed) from Walmart or local bait shop and crickets/dubias from pet shop. Crickets should be gut loaded with carrots, lettuce, and cherios 24-48 hours before feeding toad and sized no larger than distance between toad's eyes. Dubias sized similarly and freshly molted. Your toad can handle full size night crawlers at present size.

You are correct; it's Anaxyrus americanus, an American Eastern Toad. Not sure of sex; but if it calls or develops nuptial pads (rough dark pads on inside area of front "thumbs), it's a male. Recommend not to hibernate toad. Keep it at normal room temp and it will probably slow down metabolism during Winter, eat less, burrow more, etc. Hibernating toads and frogs is dangerous and many perish from it. Toad will be fine without it.

Looks healthy to me; but you can get a fecal analysis done to ensure it has no intestinal parasites and a chytrid test to check it has not been exposed to fungus. If it comes positive to either a vet can prescribe proper medications. Even if your toad is friendly to you; should not handle it without first washing hands in hot water and rinsing with dechlorinated tap. Their skin (specially the belly) is very absorbent and the oils in our hands is bad to them. Hope this helps and good luck !

[RyanD]

Wow, thanks for all the info. I will look into getting a bigger and better more "natural" (as natural as I can make it) environment. I'm also relieved I don't have to worry about it needing hibernation and all the set-up that would take. Also, I'm lucky, or unlucky depending on your view, to live in a relatively rural area that has underground well water which is filtered through even before getting to my faucet so the water I'll be giving her (or him) pretty much the freshest water you can get which is pretty nice for the both of us I suppose. Anyways, thanks again I appreciate all the help the tips on handling and gender recognition are a real help.

[Mentat]

You are welcome Ryan ! Unless you have a recent well water analysis report that mentions no metals; would still treat the water with one of the two mentioned dechlorinators because they will also neutralize any heavy metals in the water.