Help! what to do with hatched toad eggs?!

15 years ago

We have a block walled in yard but some how a toad got in & has been with us for a few years & none of our dogs seem interested in it... may be an Arizona Toad. Last week we heard a strange sound outside & found the huge toad in the pond. Thinking it might not be able to jump out over the rim, I took it out & placed it on the edge. Later we heard the sound again but this time it came from another toad!! Guess they were mating as the next day both were gone somewhere in the yard again (the old one wanders all over the yard even when I put it in the fenced in garden & must be hibernating in the garden soil each winter!) but now the pond surface was covered with tiny black specks I first thought were poppy seeds but there were none of my poppies nearby? Figured then they must be toad eggs! The goldfish would have eaten them so I took a pailful of water out of the pond & placed it in the shade. Three days later the pail was full of teeny little toads swimming around the sides & surface!! Now what do I do next?!!!! How long do they stay in water... do I feed them something?... where do I release them? Would my yard accommodate many toads? I have placed my posting on the reptile forum but it must not be popular as few recent postings so I decided to try this one!

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Comments (5)

auntydarla
15 years ago
I am not sure about toads but we have done bullfrog and tree frog tadpoles many times. I will assume they are similar... make sure their water doesnt dry up and I have done several things boiled a piece of lettuse till it was kinda clear and dropped it in and they eat on it.. I have also taken plain goldfish flake food and crumbled it up fine and they like it too. I fed them in the morning and evening and with both ways the tadpoles have grown and turned to frogs... they also like it when a rock from the pond that is covered in algea is dropped in.
frankielynnsie
15 years ago
Just make sure that they have a way to get out of the water when they become little toads--such as some floating plants. I always have zillions that hop out of the pond and then I don't know where they all go. There are always several in the front and back yards every year but not as many as hatch and become toads.
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buyorsell888
15 years ago
Goldfish don't eat toad eggs, they taste bad...
wispfox
15 years ago
buyorsell: I've definitely had my goldfish eat toad tadpoles, although they had no access to eggs for me to find that one out. So your millage - or at least goldfish - may vary. (I was rather distressed!)
vieja_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
well, my goldies must like the toad eggs too as none visable in the pond the next day after I took a pailful out of the pond & I know MANY were still left in the pond. No tiny tadpoles in the pond a few days later either but the pailful was swarming with the little critters!

I called rescue organizations & they all laughed (!?) & said to call Fish & Game. Well, Fish & Game said to dump the pail of little ones back in the pond for the goldfish to eat!!! I guess I will just let them develop & then place them in the gardens but Fish & Game said birds will eat them when they are small. Oh, now I wish I had not let the eggs hatch as that would have been the most humane thing to do... but now it is too late! A toad is a live creature & guess I may be silly but.. I can't see not trying now to get them to adult stage since I was responsible for letting them hatch!

Since toads lay their eggs in ponds, how do they get out when they develop past tadpole stage... jump out? Don't think they could jump out of the pond though as the lip is rather high.