Anyone know anything about amphibians? I've got a question about a toad...

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

Just trying to identify this guy I found in the backyard today. My research (https://www.fishandboat.com/Conservation/Reptiles-Amphibians/Pages/Frogs-and-Toads.aspx) suggest there aren't that many species of toads in PA and my best guess is it's either an Eastern American Toad or a Fowler's Toad (I'm leaning more towards the former choice). Truth be told I don't know much about them but have been seeing quite a number of small (around and inch or so) toads hopping in the grass but this one is rather large. I don't have any beef against toads so I'm leaving him alone and letting him do his thing but just curious what I have here.

I'll include some pictures and see what the Hide thinks, before I got the tape measure out, it started backing into the hole and lost about an inch or so I'd say so I'd say it's pretty big in my limited experience:

Thanks in advance,

-LD

DangerDave · Sep 26, 2024

Image based search says American.

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

DangerDave said:
Image based search says American.

Appreciate the input- I found a number of forums discussing the same question (for some reason many of them centered around Virginia) and folks that otherwise seemed to know what they were talking about devolved into the equivalent of an "MIL vs MOA" thread here so figured I'd take a shot.

Doesn't make much of a difference other than I was just curious what I've got crawling (or hopping) around in my backyard is all. But yeah- I was leaning towards Eastern American Toad as well based off of what I could find online.

-LD

nikonNUT · Sep 26, 2024

Lick it and tell us what happens. Might be able to ID based on the trip...

Makinchips208 · Sep 26, 2024

He looks fat and happy.

Find a princess to kiss it?

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

nikonNUT said:
Lick it and tell us what happens. Might be able to ID based on the trip...

I looked into that actually- unfortunately (assuming it's one or the other) doesn't seem like either toad is worth the effort. Unless you just like licking toads that is in which case, no judgement here lol. My initial concern though, which ironically goes with the 'licking toads comment' was if any of our 4 legged friends got out and ate one of them, I wanted to make sure that they wouldn't be toxic.

-LD

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

Makinchips208 said:
He looks fat and happy.

Find a princess to kiss it?

Not a terrible idea assuming I get at least a 15% cut in whatever financial outcome that may come from a frog prince. But you aren't lying, that's likely the biggest toad I've seen out in the wild in these parts which is why I brought out the tape measure.

-LD

Aftermath · Sep 26, 2024

I have 2 mini Dachshunds and a German Wire Haired Pointer. All hounds. We live several miles from town on 112 acres with 2 creeks and 3 ponds. These dogs often bring home toads, tree frogs, dead rabbits, dead squirrels, dead armadillos, dead skunks, pieces of leg bone from dead deer or jawbones from other critters to chew on...if it is dead and stinking, they are real likely to bring it home to share the scent. they are sure proud of themselves and are eager to bring their trophy to me. They never drag home wild roses or anything that smells good. Some times they get sickish and puke up dinner or breakfast or grass or toad or whatever...but no lasting ill effects.

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

Aftermath said:
I have 2 mini Dachshunds and a German Wire Haired Pointer. All hounds. We live several miles from town on 112 acres with 2 creeks and 3 ponds. These dogs often bring home toads, tree frogs, dead rabbits, dead squirrels, dead armadillos, dead skunks, pieces of leg bone from dead deer or jawbones from other critters to chew on...if it is dead and stinking, they are real likely to bring it home to share the scent. they are sure proud of themselves and are eager to bring their trophy to me. They never drag home wild roses or anything that smells good. Some times they get sickish and puke up dinner or breakfast or grass or toad or whatever...but no lasting ill effects.

You speak the truth. The favored trophy here is dead baby rabbits.

-LD

Marinevet1 · Sep 26, 2024

LuckyDuck said:
You speak the truth. The favored trophy here is dead baby rabbits.

-LD

Then if the smell bad enough............the got to roll around on them...........I love the dogs, but damn.............

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

Marinevet1 said:
Then if the smell bad enough............the got to roll around on them...........I love the dogs, but damn.............

Yes... exactly this! I never quite understood that behavior and always chalked it up that they thought they were "playing" with whatever critter they're rolling over. But then they proudly 'retrieve' said critter and drop it off at your door or in your living room and then you're both pissed off that you have to give them an impromptu bath to wash the stink off of them and almost always it's past the time you planned on going to bed... I've been known to use J&J baby shampoo in a pinch when pet shampoo is not readily available...Yes I absolutely understand where you're coming from but...

Back to the original question- any other opinions on what species of toad I've got here?

-LD

GreenGO Juan · Sep 26, 2024

I always wondered if it was to cover up their own scent, so other animals could not pick up on them?

LuckyLuke80 · Sep 26, 2024

Pretty sure that’s a green and brown spotted hoptoad.

Cody S · Sep 26, 2024

You're in PA and you're worried about toads?...
bro have you seen what's been happening to this country over the last 4 years?
PA is kind of pivotal to the election, you may want to consider a more useful hobby for the next month

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

GreenGO Juan said:
I always wondered if it was to cover up their own scent, so other animals could not pick up on them?

Truly- I never did figure it out myself either. There has to be a reason though, like how a dog will spin in circles a few times before it takes a dump, at least with that one (don't know if it's true) but that behavior was at least explained to me to beat down grass to pop a squat. Maybe it's true, maybe it isn't. Rolling over critters though like they're best friends, I haven't a clue.

-LD

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

Cody S said:
You're in PA and you're worried about toads?...
bro have you seen what's been happening to this country over the last 4 years?
PA is kind of pivotal to the election, you may want to consider a more useful hobby for the next month

So I was kind of expecting the standard Pit response of "that's an eastern Horny Toad, you better start skull fucking it because it'll cure acne, cancer and bring you good luck". But the political answer is the one I should have been better prepared for and that's on me.

Since you brought it up, and acknowledging I really just wanted to identify a toad, let's not paint all of PA within the same brush. Just to illustrate my point (that might be a pun in itself but not intended) look at a map of the counties that were "won" by the Democrats last Presidential election in PA, better yet, look at the counties won by the same party across the country. To each their own as far as what they believe and their understanding of the matter is, that's not my point per say , BUT if you ever grew up in this region, PA is described as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Kentucky in between (affectionately know as Pennsytucky). I assure you, us more... 'rural' folks have been doing our job and frankly even Pittsburgh is more convoluted than most cities and has been a target of Gerrymandering to the Nth degree but similar to NY state, the major city (NYC/Philly respectively) is one small blip geographically but holds an exponentially disproportional weight in how the electoral votes go.

I'm on board with your comment and perspective and happy to discuss this matter with you... in a different thread though. In THIS thread, I really just want to talk about toads. Lord knows there's more than enough threads here in the Pit that align with your comment.

-LD

Cody S · Sep 26, 2024

I've literally busted out laughing multiple times

I hope you find out about your horny toad bro lol

LuckyDuck said:
So I was kind of expecting the standard Pit response of "that's an eastern Horny Toad, you better start skull fucking it because it'll cure acne, cancer and bring you good luck". But the political answer is the one I should have been better prepared for and that's on me.

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

Cody S said:
I've literally busted out laughing multiple times
I hope you find out about your horny toad bro lol

Hopefully amicably amongst friends.

-LD

LuckyDuck · Sep 26, 2024

Almost stepped on the guy tonight. Here's another picture, I'd estimate sitting up, he/she's a little more than half a beer can tall...

-LD

hollowoutadime · Sep 26, 2024

I think it's an American toad.
I live in central OH and we have a bunch of toads on my property.

https://trekohio.com/2012/03/17/ohio-frogs-toads/

"An American toad will generally have only one or two “warts” per dark spots on its back, while a Fowler’s toad will have three or more “warts” per dark spot. "

BAMAboy18 · Sep 27, 2024

LuckyDuck said:
I looked into that actually- unfortunately (assuming it's one or the other) doesn't seem like either toad is worth the effort. Unless you just like licking toads that is in which case, no judgement here lol. My initial concern though, which ironically goes with the 'licking toads comment' was if any of our 4 legged friends got out and ate one of them, I wanted to make sure that they wouldn't be toxic.

-LD

Yes, we brought a tomcat back from Florida that turned into quite the hunter. Took him to the vet once, sick a drooling. We were told he ate a toad, not to worry he'd never do it again. We had a sizable garden pond, so we constantly bred toads and frogs (I'd re-home rescue bullfrogs from my pool business) both are great indicators of a healthy environment, they won't live in toxicity. Bullfrogs are very territorial I had a few that would stretch out over a foot. This one only had 3 legs, "Stumpy"

roostercogburn98 · Sep 27, 2024

Eastern American toad is my input. Got tons of them here in eaten NC. Also got bunches of little green tree frogs this year.

Also got lots of rat and king sneks to eat on them. Found a 4 ish footer king snek the other day

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