Gulf Coast Toads
The Gulf Coast Toad or Plains Coastal Toad is known in the scientific community as either Bufo nebulifer or Bufo valliceps. These toads live in the southern United States, especially around the Gulf of Mexico in Texas and Louisiana. After the larval stage they live primarily on land, but return to the water to mate. These reds are from the hot and humid Gulf Coast region. They feed on invertebrates that gather lights at night.
Gulf Coast redfish are wild, and should be kept that way. But they are quite common species within the range and not in any danger of extinction. If someone happens to invade your home, you’ll be able to have it as a pet! I don’t recommend going out and catching toads, but if one wanders into your house (or you’ve already caught one), don’t feel too guilty about damaging the environment.
Capture
It is quite simple to catch a toad. Place some large container on top of the toad and carve a piece of cardboard under the container. Slowly invert the container (be careful not to rush the toad) until the toad is secure in the container. Once this is done, you can move around the living room.
Dwelling
A toad needs little to survive. They provide the basics of food, water, shelter, and space, and toads are the most valuable luxury of life.
Make the container that you use in the toad house full of room for the toad to jump around. The reds are also like tunnels, so they give the appearance of being about three inches deep. I recommend using soil from your garden (for the toad’s natural habitat) or an amphibian-friendly substrate such as sphagnum moss or peat. . Do not use anything that absorbs moisture, such as wood chips or paper products, as redwood needs moisture to survive.
To provide a hiding place for the toad. You may want to buy a hollow space or buy it at pet stores, or you can just use it. a plastic cup or a large rock. Finally, the toad just needs a safe place and out of harm’s way.
Toads also need water. Use a shallow vessel to hold just enough water to soak the toad itself. Also slightly moisten the substrate with a water spritzer. Make sure all water you use is dechlorinated! You can use decoction or spring water for this purpose. Tap water additives like chlorine and chloramines that can harm the toad.
Feeders
A toad should move any properly average thing! You can feed some of the typical bugs that are sold in pet stores. Or (and more cost-effectively) you can catch your own bugs! It can be quite fun! I carried the bug around in the vacuum I shots in the toy section of the neighborhood store. Whatever you take should be a little smaller than a toad’s mouth. Make sure to catch the toad too. Some flies and moths are very difficult to catch.
There are no real guidelines as to how much to feed your Pocket Coast Toad. Whatever you feed them, they will eat, and it will be difficult for them. Remember, amphibians, fat, healthy! The emaciation of amphibians is next to death.
One very interesting thing about these toads is what they do when they molt. Toads intervene to shed their skin, which allows them to grow. But these toads eat the old skin. The toad peeled the skin off my leg like a glove. He kept gnawing on her like some nasty looking thing!
As with all animals, something must come out! Toad droppings, as stinky as they are, are downright amazing. They are very large compared to the size of the reds (if those stools were big, they would be the size of your arm!). Do not be afraid of large masses in your toad habitat. It’s probably just poo.
General Care
Keep your toad well fed and watered and you’ll run into few problems. If the toad’s habitat starts to smell bad, simply change and replace the substrate. If you use garden soil, pick up as much as you need, pour out the dirty soil, replace it with fresh soil and add new soil to the habitat.
As the toad grows, you may want to give it a bigger place to live, or you may want to release it into the wild. Remember, by keeping it as a pet, you protect the toad from many outside stimuli and stressors such as competition, predators, partners, prey, weather< /a>, etc. The toad does not get used to life in the wild. . If you want to release a toad, release it in a place where it will be a little safer from harm, such as in the backyard or under heavy grass cover.
identification
How can you be sure this is a Gulf Coast toad?
Gulf Coast Toads have well-defined ridges on their faces and bodies. They are also very rough. The back can be distinguished by a dark bruise along the spine. They also have dorso-lateral stripes (stripes on the sides of the back). Underneath pale, lighter than the rest of the body. Compared to many amphibians, I noticed that these reds seemed rather dry. They are not used at all, except immediately after grinding.
Males are yellowish or pale below the mouth (they have a “chin” but females do not. They have very beautiful eyes that shine golden-brown.
The creatures are very amazing, and they are fun, cheap, and easy to care for!
