Wild Detroit Toads Population Study by Kozmic Dreams

In 1980, I caught my first toad at a garden shop and named her "Madface." Ever since then, I have loved toads and frogs and have always had at least one for a pet at any given time. In 2003, I started keeping track of the wild toads living outside around my home.

This page provides pictures and descriptions of 124 different toads I have captured around my home, photographed, and then released into my garden. Each one has its own unique pattern of spots, stripes and bumps. They also have their own personalities which seem to stay fairly consistent as they age. It has been very enjoyable to find the same ones again and again.

I started doing this in the summer of 2003. I was tracking 7 toads by the end of 2003, #1-7. Two of the seven were adult males.

Only one of the seven, toad #2, was found again the summer of 2004. 11 new toads were added in the summer of 2004, #8-12, and 14-19. None of the eleven were adult males. I also found one past toad, #2.

In 2005, I found 11 new toads, #20-30. I didn't find any of my toads from previous years. One of the eleven was an adult male.

In 2006, I found 56 new toads, #31-86, two of which were adult males. I also found one past toad, #28. Most of the new ones were teeny-tiny toads---smaller than I've ever found in this area before. There must have been a huge "baby-boom" this year.

In 2007, I found 12 new toads, #87-98, four of which were adult males. I also found one past toad, #72.

In 2008, I have found 27 new toads so far, #99-125, five of which were adult males. I haven't found any of my toads from previous years.

In 2009, although I have stopped adding new toads to this list since I am tracking toads at my new residence on the Wild Toads of Metro-Detroit Page, I still check to see if any I find are already on this page. I did find one past toad, #102.

Note: There is no toad #13 because I accidentally catalogued it twice and had to remove it.

Here they are, sorted by their size when last caught. Most recent captures are at the bottom of each size section. Toads highlighted in green have survived one winter.

Toad 33 1/2 inch sex uncertain 6-29-06	Toad 34 1/2 inch sex uncertain 6-29-06	Toad 35 1/2 inch sex uncertain 6-29-06
Toad 36 1/2 inch sex uncertain 6-29-06	Toad 37 1/2 inch sex uncertain 6-29-06	Toad 39 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-9-06
Toad 40 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-9-06	Toad 41 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-9-06	Toad 42 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-9-06
Toad 43 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-9-06	Toad 44 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-9-06	Toad 45 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-9-06
Toad 46 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-9-06	Toad 47 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-18-06	Toad 48 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-18-06
Toad 49 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-18-06	Toad 50 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-18-06	Toad 51 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-21-06
Toad 52 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-31-06	Toad 53 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-31-06	Toad 54 1/2 inch sex uncertain 7-31-06
Toad 55 1/2 inch sex uncertain 8-3-06	Toad 56 1/2 inch sex uncertain 8-4-06	Toad 57 1/2 inch sex uncertain, from rental property 8-5-06
Toad 58 1/2 inch sex uncertain, very lively 8-11-06	Toad 60 1/2 inch sex uncertain 8-17-06	Toad 62 1/2 inch sex uncertain 8-20-06
Toad 63 1/2 inch sex uncertain 8-20-06	Toad 71 7/8 inch sex uncertain 8-21-06	Toad 119 3/4 inches sex uncertain very frisky 6-27-08

Toad 7 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain, docile 8-27-03	Toad 8 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain, easily frightened 5-19-04
Toad 15 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain, from rental property 8-1-04, 8-15-04	Toad 16 1 1/16 inches sex uncertain 8-15-04
Toad 17 1 1/4 inches sex uncertain 8-25-04	Toad 18 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain 8-25-04
Toad 19 "Bowtie" 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain, extremely docile, good jumper 8-25-04, 8-26-04, 8-28-04, 9-5-04	Toad 20 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain, very lively, not easily frightened 5-21-05 (first toad found in 2005)
Toad 23 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain very frisky, good jumper 6-5-05	Toad 66 1 3/8 inches sex uncertain 8-21-06
Toad 67 1 1/8 inches sex uncertain 8-21-06	Toad 68 1 1/4 inches sex uncertain 8-21-06
Toad 69 1 1/16 inches sex uncertain 8-21-06	Toad 70 1 1/16 inches sex uncertain 8-21-06
Toad 73 1 3/8 inches sex uncertain 8-25-06	Toad 74 1 1/8 inches sex uncertain 8-25-06
Toad 59 1 1/8 inches sex uncertain 8-11-06, 8-17-06, 8-25-06	Toad 75 1 3/16 inches sex uncertain 8-25-06
Toad 76 1 3/8 inches sex uncertain 8-25-06	Toad 77 1 inch sex uncertain 8-25-06
Toad 78 1 1/8 inches sex uncertain, especially fast 8-25-06	Toad 79 1 5/16 inches sex uncertain, docile 8-27-06
Toad 81 1 3/8 inches sex uncertain 8-30-06	Toad 83 1 7/16 inches sex uncertain, very scared 8-30-06
Toad 84 1 1/8 inches sex uncertain 9-2-06	Toad 86 1 5/16 inches sex uncertain 9-24-06
Toad 88 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain 5-19-07	Toad 100 1 3/8 inches sex uncertain frisky 5-31-08
Toad 104 1 1/4 inches sex uncertain likes backrubs 6-12-08	Toad 118 1 1/2 inches sex uncertain timid, had respiratory infection 6-27-08
Toad 122 1 3/8 inches sex uncertain very calm 8-13-08

Toad 1 2 inches female, gentle 6-25-03	Toad 2 "Little J" 2 1/4 inches female, very lively, highly spotted underbelly, excellent high-jump 7-3-03, 5-22-04, 6-6-04, 6-26-04
Toad 3 1 3/4 inches female, lively 7-13-03, 7-14-03	Toad 4 2 1/4 inches male, lively 7-15-03
Toad 9 2 inches female, lively, but docile second time caught 5-19-04, 5-29-04	Toad 10 2 inches female, lively, lightly spotted underbelly, reddish hue 5-22-04
Toad 11 1 9/16 inches female, lively 5-24-04	Toad 22 2 1/4 inches female, VERY lively, excellent jumper, not easily frightened 6-2-05
Toad 24 1 11/16 inches female, VERY lively, excellent jumper, not easily frightened 6-10-05	Toad 25 2 1/4 inches female, very lively, good jumper, docile only if held for long periods 6-22-05
Toad 27 1 3/4 inches female (although attempts to chirp a lot) lively, but docile at times 7-31-05	Toad 29 2 inches male excellent high jumper 8-28-05
Toad 30 1 3/4 inches female very spotted underbelly extremely strong and active 9-13-05	Toad 26 2 3/16 inches male lively, excellent climber, grew nearly 1 inch in 8 weeks and gained ability to chirp 7-21-05, 9-21-05
Toad 31 2 inches female lightly spotted chest, white belly mildly active 5-6-06	Toad 28 1 5/16 inches on 8-28-05 2 1/8 inches on 6-4-06 male was excellent and fast jumper, second time caught more docile---likes to be held
Toad 32 2 3/16 inches male faint spots on chest, yellowish belly extremely active, excellent long jump, very chirpy 6-24-06	Toad 61 1 9/16 inches female 8-17-06
Toad 64 1 5/8 inches female 8-21-06	Toad 65 1 5/16 inches female 8-21-06
Toad 80 2 inches female, very docile 8-27-06, 8-30-06	Toad 82 1 9/16 inches female, docile, easily frightened 8-30-06
Toad 85 1 11/16 inches female 9-18-06	Toad 87 2 3/8 inches female, docile then suddenly tense and frisky 4-28-07
Toad 89 1 5/8 inches female 5-19-07	Toad 90 1 11/16 inches female 5-19-07
Toad 91 1 3/4 inches female 5-19-07	Toad 92 1 15/16 inches female, frisky 6-6-07
Toad 94 2 3/16 inches female, docile, loves to be pet 6-16-07	Toad 95 2 1/16 inches on 6-18-07 2 3/8 inches on 7-14-07 male, very frisky and very chirpy small cross shape on chest, first found sitting on paint can in garage
Toad 96 2 3/16 inches female, frisky 6-18-07	Toad 97 2 inches male, frisky 6-18-07
Toad 98 2 1/8 inches male, frisky, but will calm down to enjoy a back rub 9-3-07	Toad 99 2 3/8" female, frisky, but calms down and seems to enjoy being held 5-31-08
Toad 101 1 3/4 inches female likes to jump 6-5-08	Toad 102, "Triangle Toad" 2 1/2 inches female calm, timid, but friendly 6-5-08 --- had respiratory infection 6-27-08 --- didn't have infection, grew 1/4 inch 9-29-08 --- grew 1/4 inch, found on 60 degree night in the rain 10-11-08, 10-13-08 --- had respiratory infection 10-24-08 --- found on 49 degree rainy night, but didn't to have the respiratory infection 6-28-09 --- found near the garage in the daytime.
Toad 103 1 7/8 inches female found in garage (very dark in color at first), urinated a lot, loves backrubs 6-12-08	Toad 106 2 1/8 inches male extremely lively and chirpy 6-16-08
Toad 105 2 1/4 inches female good jumper, nice/docile, had respiratory infection. Very unusual markings (white and beige spots on stomach and above left foreleg) Still measured the same after almost one month 6-5-08, 7-3-08
Toad 107 1 3/4 inches female very frisky 6-19-08	Toad 108 1 5/8 inches female? calm, likes back rubs, good high jumper 6-21-08
Toad 109 1 3/4 inches female very frisky 6-21-08	Toad 110 1 3/4 inches female extremely frisky 6-21-08
Toad 111 2 inches male frisky 6-21-08	Toad 112, "Longbump" 1 7/8 inches on 6-21-08, 2 1/8" on 7-8-08 also found 7-12-08 (under garbage can lid), 7-13-08, 7-15-08 (in water from sprayer nozzle) male excellent climber
Toad 113 2 inches female very frisky at times, cam/timid at others 6-21-08	Toad 114 1 3/4 inches male? trying hard to chirp, little sound frisky 6-21-08
Toad 115 2 inches male highly spotted underbelly, had respiratory infection 6-25-08	Toad 120 2 inches female very timid, urinated 7-3-08
Toad 121 2 inches female fairly calm, found inside the garage 7-3-08	Toad 123 2 inches female very friendly, loves backrubs 8-13-08
Toad 124 1 5/8 inches female calm at first, then frisky. good long and fast jump 8-28-08	Toad 125 2 inches male very calm and friendly, timid at times 9-5-08 9-10-08 at 60 degrees F at night 9-21-08 Sadly, this sweet little guy was cut by the lawnmower near his anus. I didn't think he would make it from the looks of the wound---you could see right into his body cavity. It took him 8 days, but he finally defecated, which let me know that it didn't cut his intestine (a huge shock). I applied Neosporin twice a day and kept him in a clean rubbermaid bin. He also soaked in a tetracycline bath for several hours a day. Within a few weeks, the wound was no longer open and skin was forming over it. On October 12, I transferred him to a terrarium with soil where I will keep him for the winter while his skin gets tough (right now it is a delicate tissue-thin layer). Then he will be released. Update: December 26, 2008 --- he is doing great!

Toad 5 3 inches male, very lively 8-15-03	Toad 6 2 1/2 inches female, lively, but docile at times 8-15-03
Toad 12 2 1/2 inches female, friendly, but frisky at times very pointy bumps 5-25-04	Toad 14 2 1/2 inches female, very docile, lightly spotted underbelly has similar "j" marking to #2 6-20-04
Toad 21 2 1/2 inches female, lively, but calm when held for long periods, grew 1/2 inch in 2 weeks 5-28-05, 6-11-05	Toad 38 2 3/4 inches female, lively, but calm when held for long periods, 7-5-06, 7-15-06
Toad 93 2 1/2 inches male, docile, loves to be pet 6-16-07	Toad 72 female, docile 1 3/4 inches on 8-22-06 2 5/16 on 6-18-07
Toad 116 2 3/4 inches female friendly, likes backrubs, timid when touched 6-26-08	Toad 117 2 1/2 inches female friendly 6-27-08