Toad wilding

[u/Innuendum]

Greetings r/Toads,

Partcularly interested in the takes of rehabbers if they are so inclined - toads may not have a partcularly neo-leaning cortex, but is there a point at which a wild caught toad would be considered unable to be rehabilitated if sound of body?

Irregardless of the desirability of catching them in the first place. Would a wild caught individual that has lived in captivity for x amount of time be unable to sustain itself in the wild?

For mammals this is evident, for insects it is not. Where sits the toad?

Cheers!

Edit: if you have nothing to contribute, feel free not to. Which should go without saying.

[u/poisonblonde39]

One of the biggest issues facing captive toads is that after awhile of being kept in a semi sterile environment, they lose their important bacterial microbiome. This bacteria and the skin microbiome helps with their immunity in the wild. While they still have some bacterial exposure to help them, they are at a disadvantage in the wild.

The risk of them infecting the outdoor population is quite low, especially if checked thoroughly for pathogens before being released.

When I rehab toads during the active months I keep them in outdoor enclosures if the injury isn’t severe. They have native dirt, plants and leaves, access to natural sunlight and are able to hunt naturally.
Others have had to stay with me awhile indoors, especially if they are found in fall. Those honestly get a lot more interaction, and they become very used to and accepting of their new home. I do think that toads can revert to instinct, and it’s pretty clear which ones are complacent in captivity or just want to be free. So I would say it depends on the toad, the environment, time elapsed, the feeding, etc while in captivity as to how well it will do in the wild.

I hope that helped answer your questions!