How to Raise American Toad Tadpoles
The American toad, or Bufo americanus, lives in ponds, usually blending in with the surrounding dirt and rocks. The males grow to only two inches and the females grow to four inches. Females lay eggs in the early spring, attaching long strings of thousands of eggs around plants growing in shallow water. American toad tadpoles are generally quite easy to net and even easier to raise. Tadpoles grow into toads quickly, and their metamorphosis is fascinating to watch for both youngsters and adults alike.
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Things You'll Need
- Fine-mesh net
- Small bucket
- Aquarium, tank or plastic wash tub
- Chlorine-free water
- Rock
- Lettuce or spinach leaves
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Feeder insects
Instructions
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1
Prepare a tank or medium-sized aquarium for your tadpoles. You can even use a large plastic wash tub, but make sure your container is clean. Fill the container with 3 to 4 inches of clean, chlorine-free water that is close to the pond water's temperature.
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2
Collect your tadpoles using a fine-mesh net and a bucket in early spring. This is when female toads release their eggs in freshwater ponds. Fill your bucket with pond water and net some tadpoles around shallow-water plants.
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3
Place your tadpoles in the water-filled container that you've prepared. According to the Pet Place website, use a minimum of 1 gallon of water for every two tadpoles to avoid overcrowding. Add a rock that is large enough to stick out above the surface of the water. The tadpoles can climb onto this rock as needed after they grow lungs and legs.
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4
Feed your tadpoles a diet of chopped, boiled lettuce or spinach leaves twice per day. Feed them a crushed hard-boiled egg two or three times per week. Feed them insects after they develop their legs and mature from tadpoles into toads, which usually takes two to three weeks.
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5
Release your young American toads back into the pond where you found them as tadpoles. If you are not planning to keep the toads as pets, release them within one month after they have grown into toads.
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Tips & Warnings
Start with a small number of tadpoles--five to 10.
De-chlorinated water is essential to your tadpoles, because chlorine will kill them. If you have any difficulty finding de-chlorinated water, you can purchase it at a pet store.
Don't release an older toad that you've kept as a pet back into the wild. Older toads kept in captivity for months or years can carry diseases into the wild.
Always wash your hands with a strong anti-bacterial soap after handling tadpoles or toads. Both can carry diseases and release a poisonous secretion.
