Found a toad today

[Jessica1971]

Since trying to help an injured Cuban Tree frog that was injured and passed away, I have become very interested in frogs and toads.

So tonight I found a Southern Toad by my horses' water trough.

I began to set up my 10 gallon aquarium with the necessities.
After keeping him for less than 10 minutes I felt extremely guilty and put him back where I found him.

Does anyone think that keeping him would have been wrong?

Since he was from the wild, I felt bad.

I think I may go the purchasing route.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks, Jessica

[Lija]

You did good! Wild frogs and toads belong in a wild, to keep the guy alive you'd need to do a lot and pay a lot for all the testing/treating. You better get captive bred, it would be healthier, easier to keep and less stressful for both of you

[UncleChester]

Releasing it was the right thing to do. You can enjoy observing it in the wild, not just captivity.

If you are going to pull in a wild species, it's best to do so responsibly and not just because it turned up. Make sure it's legal where you are, make sure you have a habitat & food ready to go, make sure you're willing to care for it for the rest of it's life, make sure you're removing from a thriving population, and collect the youngest possible to minimize your impact (eggs/tadpoles preferred).

An exception would be those invasive Cubans... I believe they're legal to keep in Florida (but check on that!) and no one would complain if you remove a Cuban or two from the breeding population. But again, make sure you're well read on what their care entails.

[Heatheranne]

Great choice. There are many captive bred species of frogs and toads you can choose from.

Your best bet it to research which species you'd like first to be sure you can provide the right things they need. Then build their home. Then find a reputable breeder to purchase your frog/toads.

http://www.frogforum.net/content/choosing-frog-147/

This is a great starter article .

[Cliygh and Mia 2]

FORWARD: this isn't spam, I'm just suggesting something. If you still want a southern toad, LLLReptile has some in stock, and from the picture they look like they recently absorbed their tails and are hopping around.