How to Catch a Toad
Find a toad., Catch and handle a toad gently., House a toad indoors., Provide something in which your toad can dig., Outfit the toad’s home properly., Feed your toad the finest crickets you can find.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a toad.
You can find toads almost anywhere there is consistent moisture.
Toads will be especially easy to find near the concrete foundation of buildings and porches after it rains.
Check under logs, near stumps, and under rocks near water as well.During the spring, male toads will relax in pools of water and call to female toads, hoping to attract company, not to mention the chance to procreate.
Once you find a toad, don’t make any sudden movements.
Approach it slowly.
Be careful not to squish the toad when moving any rocks or other heavy materials. -
Step 2: Catch and handle a toad gently.
Kneel down and cup your hands around the toad slowly but steadily.
Cradle them gently in both hands to ensure they don’t jump out and injure themselves.If the toad “waters” in your hands, don’t be alarmed
- it's not pee, it's water released from their water bladder.
You cannot get warts from handling toads.
Don’t handle a toad too much, as the oils on your skin can hurt it after a while. , If you’re hoping to keep a wild caught toad as a pet, see the corresponding LifeGuide Hub article for more specific steps.
The first step, of course, is providing your toad a habitat.
Use a ten gallon fish tank, or comparable container, with a tight fitting lid.If you continue to practice your toad hunting skills, each new acquisition requires about 5 gallons worth of space.
If you catch baby toads, smaller plastic ‘critter keepers’ from the pet store will be more than sufficient for housing before the toad nears full size – which can be over four inches long! Clean the interior of the toad’s enclosure once a month with heavily diluted bleach – shoot for about 5% bleach and 95% water.
If you only intend to keep your toad for a few days, a box with a reliably closing lid and no holes larger than a dime will also work. , Toads are all about burrowing, so they need something they can dig into.
Use non-fertilized potting soil missed or sphagnum moss.
Mix them together to really spoil your toad.
This material, called substrate, should be at least 4 inches deep.Know that toads are nocturnal, and will likely bury themselves in the substrate during the day – so don’t be worried if you can’t spot your toad.
Lightly spray the substrate with water every day.
This will make it easy for your toad to maneuver around their domain and comfortably lounge in choice pockets of substrate.
Replace all of the substrate every 2 to 4 months. , You also need to ensure the toad’s home is appropriately decorated and kept at the right temperature.
Similarly, the proper amount of light is vital, as is adequate humidity.Most importantly, provide a wide, shallow pool of water for your toad to soak in.
Carefully add a piece of wood.
Your toad will likely burrow right beneath it.
A hollowed out log is even more exciting, as a lazy toad can simply post up inside of it.
As long as there is adequate substrate and you keep it clean and moist, the toad will be able to regulate it’s temperature.
Room temperature is okay, even with natural cooling of 10-15 degrees F in the evening.
Toads do not need artificial lighting for warmth.
Replace the water in their toad tubs daily. , Toads eat mostly insects in the wild, with growing toads eating over a dozen small insects in a single evening.
Since crickets are readily accessible at pet stores, they will be your most reliable food source.Toads will also eat minnows, earthworms, and other insects as well.
You may have to dangle non-lively critters in front of your toad to bait them into attacking.
Make sure you only feed your toad food that is smaller in size than the width of your toad’s mouth.
Toads are naturally ravenous beasts, and may attempt to swallow things they probably shouldn’t.
Let your toad eat as much as it wants for fifteen minutes every evening.
Remove any food they attempt to hoard at the conclusion of their nightly feeding session. -
Step 3: House a toad indoors.
-
Step 4: Provide something in which your toad can dig.
-
Step 5: Outfit the toad’s home properly.
-
Step 6: Feed your toad the finest crickets you can find.
Detailed Guide
You can find toads almost anywhere there is consistent moisture.
Toads will be especially easy to find near the concrete foundation of buildings and porches after it rains.
Check under logs, near stumps, and under rocks near water as well.During the spring, male toads will relax in pools of water and call to female toads, hoping to attract company, not to mention the chance to procreate.
Once you find a toad, don’t make any sudden movements.
Approach it slowly.
Be careful not to squish the toad when moving any rocks or other heavy materials.
Kneel down and cup your hands around the toad slowly but steadily.
Cradle them gently in both hands to ensure they don’t jump out and injure themselves.If the toad “waters” in your hands, don’t be alarmed
- it's not pee, it's water released from their water bladder.
You cannot get warts from handling toads.
Don’t handle a toad too much, as the oils on your skin can hurt it after a while. , If you’re hoping to keep a wild caught toad as a pet, see the corresponding LifeGuide Hub article for more specific steps.
The first step, of course, is providing your toad a habitat.
Use a ten gallon fish tank, or comparable container, with a tight fitting lid.If you continue to practice your toad hunting skills, each new acquisition requires about 5 gallons worth of space.
If you catch baby toads, smaller plastic ‘critter keepers’ from the pet store will be more than sufficient for housing before the toad nears full size – which can be over four inches long! Clean the interior of the toad’s enclosure once a month with heavily diluted bleach – shoot for about 5% bleach and 95% water.
If you only intend to keep your toad for a few days, a box with a reliably closing lid and no holes larger than a dime will also work. , Toads are all about burrowing, so they need something they can dig into.
Use non-fertilized potting soil missed or sphagnum moss.
Mix them together to really spoil your toad.
This material, called substrate, should be at least 4 inches deep.Know that toads are nocturnal, and will likely bury themselves in the substrate during the day – so don’t be worried if you can’t spot your toad.
Lightly spray the substrate with water every day.
This will make it easy for your toad to maneuver around their domain and comfortably lounge in choice pockets of substrate.
Replace all of the substrate every 2 to 4 months. , You also need to ensure the toad’s home is appropriately decorated and kept at the right temperature.
Similarly, the proper amount of light is vital, as is adequate humidity.Most importantly, provide a wide, shallow pool of water for your toad to soak in.
Carefully add a piece of wood.
Your toad will likely burrow right beneath it.
A hollowed out log is even more exciting, as a lazy toad can simply post up inside of it.
As long as there is adequate substrate and you keep it clean and moist, the toad will be able to regulate it’s temperature.
Room temperature is okay, even with natural cooling of 10-15 degrees F in the evening.
Toads do not need artificial lighting for warmth.
Replace the water in their toad tubs daily. , Toads eat mostly insects in the wild, with growing toads eating over a dozen small insects in a single evening.
Since crickets are readily accessible at pet stores, they will be your most reliable food source.Toads will also eat minnows, earthworms, and other insects as well.
You may have to dangle non-lively critters in front of your toad to bait them into attacking.
Make sure you only feed your toad food that is smaller in size than the width of your toad’s mouth.
Toads are naturally ravenous beasts, and may attempt to swallow things they probably shouldn’t.
Let your toad eat as much as it wants for fifteen minutes every evening.
Remove any food they attempt to hoard at the conclusion of their nightly feeding session.
About the Author
Lisa Hall
Creates helpful guides on lifestyle to inspire and educate readers.
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