I have a toad!

[Kerry1968]

I'm so excited! I have found a Bufo bufo in my garden, now he's mine all mine!! Mwaaahaaaahaaaaahaaaaa!

Sorry, went a bit loopy there!

How's this for fate?

I was out in the garden when I got an urgent shout from my partners son inside. One of my axolotl tanks was leaking, badly! Right near a load of electricals! It was my 2 and half foot tank with a baby lotl in. I frantically siphoned out the water, put baby lotl in a tub and lifted the tank off the unit it was on, the tank was cracked from corner to corner diagonally lengthwise! All I can think is that it got knocked in the recent house move and over time the weight if the water caused it to crack.

So, I move baby lotl to a 3 foot tank with a divider to seperate him from the adult female and I'm left with a tank that will only be good enough for terrestrial animals (I didn't fancy trying to silicone it waterproof). I put said tank out in the garden, just in aces I get my wish of a tiger salamander or fire sal and carry on working in the garden. Panic over.

On moving some clipped branches that were piled up I heard a rustling in the undergrowth and though it was a rat! But it was a gorgeous little toad! Well, not so little! He/she is a yellow/olive colour, about 4 inches long and about as wide! But I guess that is probably defensive puffing up. I've put the toad in the broken tank with some topsoil from the garden. I've also put a load of dried grass and weeds (that I'd pulled up the other day) in a bunch on top the soil as a temporary hide, I've added a small dish for soaking if the toad so desires and I think thats about it.

The toad is obviously very stressed right now, so I'm just leaving it to settle down. I've put some earthworms in the tank, either for food or to keep the soil healthy. I've read that they'll eat crickets and I keep those anyway. As the toad is wildcaught I assume it would be OK to feed him any bugs caught in the garden? Woodlice etc?

Sorry for the long post! I'm so happy with my new family member!

Sorry no photos, lost my camera in the move!

[Tom Highum]

Bufo Bufo probably.
As for the feeders that would probably be ok with most things. just watch anything thats to large (larger things seem to carry parasites more) also avoid things that naturally eat rotting animals like mice do.

[Kurt]

Congratulations on your new toad. I added to the collection today with a Colorado River toadlet and a trio of northern two-lined salamanders, Eurycea bislineata.

[BEETLE]

They love earthworms and woodlice. I had one that eat 50 woodlice one after another, it was the biggest common toad I have ever seen.

[Kerry1968]

Thanks for the info, that's great, I have loads of woodlice in the garden!

[Tom Highum]

Anytime.