American toad - Bufo Americanus

[Humble308]

Or Anaxyrus americanus as they're currently known. During the fall I collected 3 toads for a breeding project I had in mind as feeders for hognose snakes. I've simply fallen in love with toads and their personalities. This is a few pictures of the first toad I caught called Big Momma. I keep all 3 critters in a 40 breeder and they seem to do very well.

I don't usually see them out of burrow right now since it's simply so cold, but Big Momma was up early this morning and I gave her a good meal of meal worms and red wrigglers, though their usual diet is crickets.

Whooopee, Toads...what's the big deal? I've always been around toads growing up but keeping them is simply amazing. They are VORACIOUS eaters are fun to observe. Watching a toad slurp down a night crawler is hilarious. I started the project to create feeders, but find myself spending more time observing the toads than I do the snakes hahaha.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/Humble308/IMG_3219_zpscqvxr2lh.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/Humble308/media/IMG_3219_zpscqvxr2lh.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/Humble308/IMG_3220_zpsuc7dbwfl.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/Humble308/media/IMG_3220_zpsuc7dbwfl.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/Humble308/IMG_3217_zpsvgkh2wjg.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/Humble308/media/IMG_3217_zpsvgkh2wjg.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/Humble308/IMG_3226_zpshpsrc7gv.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/Humble308/media/IMG_3226_zpshpsrc7gv.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/Humble308/IMG_3218_zpsarznruxt.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/Humble308/media/IMG_3218_zpsarznruxt.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/Humble308/IMG_3223_zpszpq6ptn7.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/Humble308/media/IMG_3223_zpszpq6ptn7.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/Humble308/IMG_3224_zps3cyi57ye.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/Humble308/media/IMG_3224_zps3cyi57ye.jpg.html)

If you look very closely in the corner of the last picture you'll see the other female that I unearthed. The toads normally stay burrowed since it's so cold in their room as I'm trying to replicate brumation, though they eat throughout this phase just like snakes.

I will update this post with pictures of the other male and female when they emerge to bathe and feed. All the best!

Semper Fi,
Derek G

[Jim Smith]

I have always held a special place in my heart for toads. They were the first critters I caught as a small child and I've loved them ever since then. I live on a small lake now and in the spring there are literally thousands of tiny toads in the yard. When I say tiny, I mean that they are about the size of a pea. I often have a difficult time mowing the grass as I try to be very careful not to run any of them over. I think that if I didn't have snakes, I would probably have a large enclosure with toads.

[Humble308]

Wow that must be a sight to see that many toadlets!

[Tsubaki]

Very cool looking, especially those stubby faces :D

[pitontheprowl]

Brings back memories of running around Salado Creek as a child.
They were everywhere.

[pet_snake_78]

I like them a lot too. They usually eat day one brought in from the wild for me. I had a lot in a yard I lived in, they borrowed in the bark mulch. I kept a few over the winter back then (and I wouldn't do this now, but bare in mind I was a teenager) turned them loose in the spring.

[Mad Max]

Brings back memories of running around Salado Creek as a child.

I have memories of cast net fishing there as a teenager.

[pitontheprowl]

I have memories of cast net fishing there as a teenager.

Small world :yes: