Reptile & Amphibian Forums

so i have kept herps...including toads, for quite a while...even starting to breed herps. anyway one girl i babysit(thats my job, im here now)caught this little toad and is keeping it in this little plastic fake horse carrier about 5 inches long by 3 inches deep! no lights no food no water AND its on ceder chips! all it has is 2 rox. she wont let it go but she might let me take it... i have the "facilities" for it and no how to care for it...basically. its only about an inch long so i figured i could feed it small or pinhead crix.. right? since it was caught here i will not use a heat lamp but i guess i will use a uvb.i use slimline desert 7 for all my herps. since it is the most percentage.(7%) will a ten gallon aquarium be ok?
thanks
i know you all will probably say to let it go but thats what i said and she WILL NOT listen.she just keeps saying ill keep it at your house, with your lizards, snakes, and frogs...lol. that basically means i pay for everything, take care of it, and she calls it hers. lol. i would let it go at my house but she would flip out and catch another one... even if i say it dies. so really the best thing to do is get her to give it to me.. i dont no if she is for sure... p.s. she is 11.
thanks again,
~icy(sara)

You buy her a CB toad, and keep it at your house. Then explain to her that its not right to steal the local animals away from their homes because it will upset mothernatures balance. Shes seen the Lion King, right. Bring up the whole "circle of life" thing to her. Everything has a place in its natural environment, and if you take out one, you mess the whole thing up. If you explain it to her, and relate it to things she understands, Im sure youll have better luck. Maybe take her out to veiw reptiles/ amphibians, and other wild life in their natural habitats, so she'll appreciate them more in that setting.
But please do not let her keep it. We need to teach the generations coming up to respect what nature we have left.

Best Regards,
Michelle

Excellent answer. Maybe if you can afford it (or get the money from her parents) buy her (if her parents will allow it) a FBT. They're inexpensive and very easy to keep. That is, of course, if you babysit frequently and can supervise, and bring crickets (because most grown-ups hate that part) to feed it. Huge responsibility for you in the beginning, but with proper training and guidance, 11 is old enough to take care of a FBT. It goes without saying that if you don't think this little girl won't be able to resist handling the toad, don't go with a FBT, but maybe another species.

Good luck,
Michelle

the problem is i no the lights wont get turned on and they have a cat and although she loves animals she doesnt always understand there needs. they got 2 anoles once... that did not go over well. i didnt no about them or even see them... they died/ got lost in a matter of about 3 weeks. she also has an eastern painted turtle they have had for about 13 years. it has no lights but eats good. right now she is chasing the cat with balloons.sigh. and her mom doesnt have the money to and just wont buy the proper set up for the fbt and i have been putting my money toward getting specimens for my breeding project. although it is a good idea. she actually "rescued" it from some kid catching them to feed to his pirhanas. honestly i dont think they are the best thing to feed to pirhanas but it would be dead anyway if she didnt get it, not that that makes it any better. she keeps saying he will catch it and feed it to his pirhanas.

It sounds like the kid needs a hard lesson in the humane treatment of animals. The girl will never learn the value of life if she is never told "no", and her parents educated on how to properly take care of animals. I realize you're in a sticky situation since you are the babysitter, but it is times like these that you need to step up to the plate that makes a difference. I think that bengalensis wrote an excellent post and you should follow it word for word.

Good luck and keep us updated.
-----
*Humans aren't the only species on earth... we just act like it.

".the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without
spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

I am 11. Although I think nature is awesome I respect it. I suggest telling her that even though she saved it from death in a little while it's fate will be the same, death. I she doesn't let it go it will die one way or another. I don't live near you but I doubt that toad catching piranha feading boy will find it again. We have a toad living around our house (we think) and have only seen it once (a week or two ago) and since then haven't seen it. I think like an 11 year old (considering I am one), try this. I probably went in to to much detail though.
Cyclonegirl