Iggie Roommates - New Friend for Igs

[rocmills]

Seems we have a new addition to our family here.

Every year, when the weather starts to warm up again from the brief respite of winter, the iguana habitat/swimming pool gets carpetted with roaches, beetles, and crickets. It's downright scary.

Oddly enough, this year there are almost no insects in the pool. One lone cricket, but nary a roach or beetle or cricket herd to be seen.

Last Saturday, while I was out of town, my husband went out to feed the iggies and found this....



I'm fairly certain it's a Western Toad, though an *extremely* fat one. The oddest part is that we have absolutely no idea how it got there, or how *long* it has been there. "He" seems friendly enough, and has put up with our petting and holding him on several occassions.



And the iguanas don't seem to mind him. In fact, the day my husband found him, he and Bailey were basking together!

Does anyone have any idea where I can get more information on these guys?

Thanks!

--Roc

[Lyn]

I have an idea...why dont you try www.herpcenter.com it deals with just about every herp imagineable...someone there is bound to have some answers for you...I am kinda biased... I am a Moderator over there too lol....good luck...cute toad but man he is huge.....Lyn

[Merlin]

I am kinda biased... I am a Moderator over there too lol

Hmmmm imagine that! LOL!

But I agree we do have a member there that has posted regarding frogs and toads.

[rocmills]

Done. I hate to admit it, but I first posted here because I couldn't, for the life of me, remember the name or URL of the other forum! Found the site, even found a Western Toad thread to post in.

I did find out on a quick Google last night that these little critters can emit some sort of nasty toxin when they are scared, but that doesn't seem to be a problem for our little (ha!) one. So far, little Tommy (or Tomasina - i think it may be a girl) seems to enjoy being held and petted... also likes getting squirted when we spray the iguanas. I can't wait to learn more! Oh, and if it *is* a girl, then I hope no males come dropping out of the sky, or wherever she came from, because I understand they lay 8-12,000 eggs!!! Boy, I thought Mary was prolific!!

Thanks for the reminders Lyn and Merlin!

--Roc

[dominick]

If our two Mods remember, Rocmills was active on HC first when she posted about the Ig eggs. LOL

The less than polite response and a desire for a more Iguana specific forum brought her here!

See Rox, it's a small herp world after all!

[Merlin]

Oh I remember Roc. I was sorry about the way she was "welcomed" but I thought that had been smoothed over once the explanation for the knee jerk reaction she got was explained.

Aaaaaaaaany way!

[rocmills]

Okay, no need to dredge up unpleasant memories gang. I settled in here instead of at Herp Center because this seems to be a smaller, friendlier group and I had no need for non-iguana info until now.

When I wrote earlier that I had posted to HerpCenter, I was mistaken. I posted to Reptile Forums... no replies, low toad activity there. Today, I realized my mistake and copied the post to Herp Center. There seems to be more toad action there anyway.

We are planning to redo the entire pool habitat over the coming weeks, and I am concerned about where and how to house the toad while we work on the habitat.

We brought her (Tomi now, instead of Tommy) inside to spend some time in the bathtub, but she didn't like it very much. She made all kinds of scared sounds and kept trying to get out of the tub, so we took her back outside and put her back in the muck she likes so much.

--Roc