Found a toad should I keep him

[preschoolfrogmaybe]

I found a toad tonight in my front yard actually. I live in ohio so we got crummy wet rainy colder weather right now. I came home around 8:30pm and walked up to my house only to have a small toad jump out to greet me. Well I picked hiim up because my puppy (saint bernard/great dane) was comming out to go potty and he surely would have thought he was a chew toy. Well when I picked him up he was ICE cold like made my hands cold that cold. He just seemed to settle right into my hands and just stayed there.
I am a preschool teacher who's new classroom at a new center will be opening soon well I was considering all sorts of things for class pets but never a toad until tonight. He was just so sweet and friendly. So he's inside right now in a 10 gallon aquariam with repti carpet (from an old lizzard I had) with a hiding hut and a climbing branch and a small dish of water.
Im wondering should I keep him or is it best to let him go. Im getting attached all ready lol. But I want to do whats right by him, he's pretty small still.

[Wormwood]

It's probally just a common American Toad, they are found all over the midwest and actually make great little pets. The kids should enjoy it, just make sure they wash their hands after touching it as they do produce toxins, and will "pee" signifantly as a defensive action when handled. Those are the only two major negatives and might make it a "look - don't touch" animal , especially for pre-schoolers.

They do burrow so it would be good to replace the mat with some coco-coco substrate (found in a brown block) at pet stores. One or two inches of it should do it, and don't be worried if it fully burrows under the substrate, it's what they do. They won't climb so no need for the climb log, but the hidey hole and the water dish is a must. They are nocturnal animals, so unless you dig it out it's common for it to stay hidden during the day. It was probally drawn to your back porch light looking for bugs.

Depending how small it is they do well on earth worms, red worms, crickets, meal worms, pill bugs. They will eat until you stop feeding them so just watch for over feeding, good rule of thumb though - if it looks fat, it's happy. Toads shouldn't look skinny, it's hip bones shouldn't stick out. Thick limbs and clear eyes are a good indication of a healthy toad. If it's a young toad (smaller then a half-dollar) get some calcium dust from a petstore and dust a few worms or crickets with it every week, to help promote healthy bone growth. They grow fast.

No need for any heating pad or heat lamp, they do just fine at room tempatures, even when the heat might be turned off at night at your school. Don't worry about it feeling cold, it's quite natural for them being cold-blooded out in the midwest, especially on our cold spring nights. You'll actually have to feed it less and from my experience they live longer.

The females get quite large, sometimes as big as a woman's balled fist so it might out grow out of 10 gallon tank pretty quick, my suggestion would be a 20 gallon which are VERY cheap at most petstores and you can even get some super cheap or free on www.craigslist.org

Good luck! And if you have any more questions I'll be happy to fill you in on American Toads more ... they are about the easiest, hardiest little toad/frog to care for.

The kids will probally enjoy bringing in earth worms and pill bugs from the playground after little rain showers to feed it. That is.. if you want them touching bugs, hah.

[stickytoes1977]

Go for it!! Toads are a very interesting animal and the kids will love it! I would suggest a look only rule, as little pre-schoolers can squeeze tightly without realizing it, especially if the toad attempts to jump out of their hands, and yes they do pee like crazy when you pick them up! It cna be quite a fair amount once they reach adulthood!!

Good Luck and you appear to be in the right place for help with your new pet toad!

[ARMS87]

I'd put it back where you found it as it's a wild animal..

[bshmerlie]

Id say keep it. They're easy to take care of and its something uniquely different for the kids to experience. Like they said bugs and worms. The kids will love feeding him.

[preschoolfrogmaybe]

Thanks I have decided to keep the little guy. Right now theres hawks circling the yard anyway so he'd probably be dinner if I put him back outside. My decision I told my husband was ill buy some crickets if he eats then I know he will eat in captivity and if he doesnt then he has to go back because I wont allow him to die..

Well he ate like crazy LOL.. So Kermit is staying (okay so im not very original), as to the preschooler's I have a one or two finger rule (but with hte toad they will be looking mainly an occasional pet to learn their not slimmy and nasty then a good handwashing afterwards lol), but my rule is they dont hold I do and they can pet with ONE or two fingers only not near face or eyes and only toward the back end of the animal..
I also just got a pet bunny for our classroom... So a pet bunny and pet toad should make a well rounded preschool zoo lol , i'd have more but I think my boss would think I went off the deep end..

[Wormwood]

Most toads are wild caught anyway and American Toads are plentiful all over the Midwest. If it was a rare or endangered breed I'd say return it to the wild.

Breeders don't focus (at least I've never found one) on toads because the froglets are so small, they take a lot to feed/grow and they are a cheap amphibian, at least from what I've seen. Any ones I've bought from pet stores or at shows have been wild caught.

$15 cane toads, $3 american toads, $8 eyptian toads, hah... No money to made there after all the bugs they eat. They are money pits, little holes in the ground with cute mouths.
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To be honest though I'm glad people don't breed them. The tadpoles are small, the toadlets horribly fragile and hard to raise - you get the strong ones that survived out in the wild, instead of some sickly, possibly inter bred frog or toad.

[preschoolfrogmaybe]

Well I ended up releasing Kermit back outside. There was a delay in getting the center open that at the time I was told may be three months long and I didnt want a toad inmy house for three months without kids in a classroom so I waited till it was a nicer day and no hawks circling and put him to hop back in the yard. When the center opens im looking into a smaller frog instead maybe.