# Kind of frog?



## heatfreakk3

Hey everyone i was at the park with my friend and we found a couple of really cool frogs, well actualy i think they might be toads but im not sure yet. I was wondering if you guys could tell me what kind of frog or toad they are. Also like what they eat and stuff.. If i cant ind out im going to let them go but i kind of wanted to experiment with other herps. 

Thanks for the help if you can.
P.S(there are 2 frogs, the first pic is the first frog and the second is the second frog.)


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## scream-aim-fire

those would be toads, look like eastern toads. they will eat any kind of bugs, or worms.


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## Otis

Some _Bufo_ sp. 
But most Bufo's native to the US have very similiar care, so I would just research B. americanis because there's probably the most info on that species.

Generally...10-20 gallon, at least 3-5 inches of dirt, thick layer of leaves (oak, magnolia ect), and a waterdish. Temps can get really low but I would not let it get over 85F for too long. 

Where are you located? 

Also, I'm fairly certain its illegal to take them out of the wild. You should check up on that.


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## heatfreakk3

Oh ok thanks a lot  like do you know what bugs would be the best? Would crickets be okay? If crickets are good like what size should i use?


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## Otis

heatfreakk3 said:


> Oh ok thanks a lot  like do you know what bugs would be the best? Would crickets be okay? If crickets are good like what size should i use?


They will eat ANYTHING. 

But yeah, crickets should be ok but you still need to check and make sure its legal first...


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## heatfreakk3

otis07 said:


> Some _Bufo_ sp.
> But most Bufo's native to the US have very similiar care, so I would just research B. americanis because there's probably the most info on that species.
> 
> Generally...10-20 gallon, at least 3-5 inches of dirt, thick layer of leaves (oak, magnolia ect), and a waterdish. Temps can get really low but I would not let it get over 85F for too long.
> 
> Where are you located?
> 
> Also, I'm fairly certain its illegal to take them out of the wild. You should check up on that.


I live in oklahoma, why would it be illegal to catch a toad? They are all over the place, mostly in pond or stuff but lots of the time one will hope into someone backyard or something..


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## Otis

heatfreakk3 said:


> I live in oklahoma, why would it be illegal to catch a toad?


Its illegal in most places to take animals out of the wild. Your local fish and wildlife service should know.


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## heatfreakk3

Oh well i used to do it a lot and stuff and i know people who do to, i dont think its illegal. Like it happens a lot and stuff here, theres a bunch of wildlife here


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## Otis

heatfreakk3 said:


> Oh well i used to do it a lot and stuff and i know people who do to, i dont think its illegal. Like it happens a lot and stuff here, theres a bunch of wildlife here


Yeah, well...a ton of my friends drink and they are underage...
just because they don't get caught it doesn't mean its legal...

The whole point of these laws is to make sure wildlife stays plentyful, if they just passed laws when animals were doing bad it would not be as helpful.


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## heatfreakk3

oh ok well sorry dang, ill put them back than. I was going to put them back anyway, i just wanted to do a little research with them and stuff to learn more about them and everything. Experiment and stuff, i was going to release them when i was done.


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## scream-aim-fire

if where you live is anything like GA, there is so many of those toads around its not even funny. i could go outside right now and walk back in with one or even five of those toads 2 mins later lol. but to tell you the truth you are probably going to get bored with keeping these toads after a while if you decide to keep them. i would stick with frogs that come from a breeder or a pet shop.


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## Omead

Catching wild reptiles and amphibians was always one of my favorite things to do when I was younger. If I didn't capture and experiment/study herps as I did then I probably wouldn't be into them as much as I am now. Out in the park type areas where there are ponds and creeks for the toads to multiply and survive I understand it should be illegal to capture them but what about if found in a residential area or near businesses.. It would be ok to relocate? I've found dozens of dead frogs and toads floating on top off my parent's swimming pool dead (less and less each year) and very few that I was able to save, nurse, and release at a park. There's not nearly as many toads around me as there used to be. Would it be bad if a few were caught to breed and release same area? I'm just curious and I should need to look into these laws as well.


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## heatfreakk3

scream-aim-fire said:


> if where you live is anything like GA, there is so many of those toads around its not even funny. i could go outside right now and walk back in with one or even five of those toads 2 mins later lol. but to tell you the truth you are probably going to get bored with keeping these toads after a while if you decide to keep them. i would stick with frogs that come from a breeder or a pet shop.


Hahaha thats funny . Yeah i am going to stick with darts for sure, and yes i probably will get bored of the toads also, but i just wanted something a little new, you know? And experiment with them and study them and everything, than when i get bored release them back into the wild  i dont think that is such a bad thing if you have to ask me.


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## Otis

Omead said:


> Catching wild reptiles and amphibians was always one of my favorite things to do when I was younger. If I didn't capture and experiment/study herps as I did then I probably wouldn't be into them as much as I am now. Out in the park type areas where there are ponds and creeks for the toads to multiply and survive I understand it should be illegal to capture them but what about if found in a residential area or near businesses.. It would be ok to relocate? I've found dozens of dead frogs and toads floating on top off my parent's swimming pool dead (less and less each year) and very few that I was able to save, nurse, and release at a park. There's not nearly as many toads around me as there used to be. Would it be bad if a few were caught to breed and release same area? I'm just curious and I should need to look into these laws as well.


The problem with keeping local herps and then releasing them is it risks disease transmission. If you catch a frog, keep it for a few months, and they drive 10 miles to put it in a park you risk introducing pathogens that were not present previously, chytrid is a bit one to watch out for. 

Chris- try Lifetime Applications/Misc. Forms
There's over 700 permits available, so you will have to sort through and find out what you are looking for.


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## scream-aim-fire

just build a watergarden in your back yard, the toads will find it and you will have tons of tads in it, and you wont even have to put them in captivity to breed them. my koi pond in the summer time is crawling with bullfrogs, toads, tads, and other kinds of water frogs, and i never brought any of them in to the pond they all found it on there own. just a suggestion


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## heatfreakk3

Oh ok awesome, we are building a pond probabbly this summer or next summer actually. So What size crickets would these guys eat? Untill i release them i wanted to feed them a little bit and watch them a little bit and stuff.


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## Otis

heatfreakk3 said:


> Oh ok awesome, we are building a pond probabbly this summer or next summer actually. So What size crickets would these guys eat? Untill i release them i wanted to feed them a little bit and watch them a little bit and stuff.


Amphibiancare.com >> American Toad (Bufo americanus) Care


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## scream-aim-fire

heatfreakk3 said:


> Oh ok awesome, we are building a pond probabbly this summer or next summer actually. So What size crickets would these guys eat? Untill i release them i wanted to feed them a little bit and watch them a little bit and stuff.


pretty much whatever size will fit in its mouth,


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## heatfreakk3

ok cool, thanks Josh and Emily


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## MonarchzMan

Here in MI, you need a fishing license to capture amphibians or reptiles. I think it's like that for many states. It looks like an American Toad to me (_Anaxyrus americanus_ now; I think that _Bufo_ is now just the old world toads).


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## Deadly_Kermit

I don't know about your local laws, but in most areas it is illegal to posses any live animal that is indigenous to that area. In some places you can collect reptiles and amphibians with a fishing license, but those laws are in place to make it legal to spear bullfrogs or collect snakes for food. I volunteer locally in an injured wildlife rehabilitation program. I had to take and pass a training course in order to legally take possession of ANY wildlife, even gophers and mice.

If it IS legal, or if you are going to ignore local laws, you really do need to research the specific animal in order to care for it properly. In the case of _Bufo Americanus _, they would need hibernation conditions every season, which could not be easily replicated in a captive environment. Keeping a toad for more than a season would most likely kill it or throw off its seasonal cycle so far that it would no longer be able to survive in the wild. 

In my opinion, if a local wild herp of any kind is to be kept in captivity, it's needs must be met perfectly, or it should only be kept for a very short period of time, then returned to the exact place it was caught. I do not mean to say if a toad is kept for a short period of time, that its basic needs do not need to be met. Toads excrete chemicals as well as water when they are stressed and they can dehydrate very quickly. 

Another point I should mention is that wild herps almost always have some sort of parasite/pathogen on or in their bodies. KEEP THEM QUARANTINED! Don't mix them with other animals you might have in your house. A wild toad could contaminate and kill your whole collection. I have heard of inexperienced dart frog keepers mixing wildlife in their vivariums and picking up chytrid(a very deadly fungus) from wild tree frogs and having all of their frogs wiped out. Chytrid will also contaminate a vivarium and render it unusable forever.

Worse yet, the toad could pick up a pathogen they are not equipped to deal with and the wild population could suffer the same fate. 

For many reasons, I don't recommend bringing home wildlife, but if you really want to keep the animal, make sure it is well cared for, quarantined and put it back where you got it within a few days.


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## heatfreakk3

Thanks, thats what im doin


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## kamazza

heatfreakk3 said:


> oh ok well sorry dang, ill put them back than. I was going to put them back anyway, i just wanted to do a little research with them and stuff to learn more about them and everything. Experiment and stuff, i was going to release them when i was done.


If you are interested in darts I think that is what you should be researching. PDF care is a bit more complicated than that of an eastern toad, IMO. So... read up do some research to get an idea of what you're doing before you get frogs, or if you've gotten some already make sure to research a lot more... no sense in rushing into anything. I'm sure there will be plenty of frogs available when you're READY to get them.


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## heatfreakk3

Okay you dont have to do millons of research if you are going to catch something for a day or 2 than release it back. And even though i have poison dart frogs doesnt mean thats the only herp i can have...


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## mattolsen

honestly? It's a toad. Sure there are laws against taking things out of the wild and I agree with abstaining from this behavior. However, if one very common toad which is very plentiful in the area helps develop an appreciation for amphibians in this person more power to them. I mean in the end isn't that the goal? To encourage people to appreciate our surroundings. The best way to do so is to get more and more people to appreciate, first hand, the beautiful fauna we still have available to us. And if that means some enthusiast caught a toad and at least went on a dignified forum to learn how to take care of the thing how do you blame them? Come on. How do you think most of us got into this love of animals. Think back to when you were a kid catching things around your area and trying your best to take care of them. Isn't that what sparks most of our interest in this hobby?


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## heatfreakk3

Thanks you very very much. That is exactly what i was trying to say. I have been doing it all my life and it makes me love herps even more. I am doing some research on the toads to learn more but i also wanted to ask about them on here also because i know there will be some people with toad experince , also i am going to release them to, im not going to keep the toads all their life, just to learn about them and everything. Thats why i diddnt buy any toads, i just wana learn about them and stuff, not keep them for a long time.


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## kamazza

I personally don't think its a big deal to catch and release a toad after a few days but the law is the law, if you get caught, which I doubt you will, then so be it. I was just suggesting that instead of researching a toad you dont plan on keeping, research the frogs you want to keep, darts right? I mean theres nothing wrong with researching the toads but I would prioritize the darts if they are what you want since you always have questions about them. Plus no one said that darts were the only herp you can have.


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## heatfreakk3

I am also still researching darts, thats also why i am on dendroboard, i read other threads and other stuff too


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