TWIL: Toad escape mechanism

When my brother and I were youngsters – I think I was 11 — we caught a toad in the backyard of our new house. I bravely held onto the toad as it peed on my hands while Dave went into the new house. He came out with an empty coffee can, with the requisite holes punched in the lid.

The toad took up the lower half of the coffee can by height. It jumped a few times but didn’t come close to touching the lid. 

We went in for dinner. (We all washed our hands.) Talked about toad names. Came out again, and, surprise, coffee can lid was off and new pet toad was gone. 

You sleuths say:

• Toad jumped out in  desparation.
• Parents gave each other the high sign and one went out and released Toad.
• Can fell over and dislodged the lid and Toad strolled out.

But you are wrong, because though the lid was off, the can was still upright, and surprisingly, filled halfway with a giant load of poop.

Even Dad was horrified. “The toad wasn’t even as big as that poop. How did he do that?” 

It seemed physically impossible, but yet it was true, unless some giant animal came by, took pity on Toad, opened the lid, waited until Toad was gone and evacuated a load into the empty can to throw us off the scent. 

We decided Toad was so terrified that he voided his bowels and took advantage of the boost up, deliberately or not.

I think of Toad on the regular, or perhaps “regular” isn’t the best term. At any rate, at times I am given to think of Toad based on my own experiences. 

Finally, today I did some research. Google tells me:

Toad feces can appear large because toads, like frogs, consume large meals of insects, and their digestive systems absorb most of the water before expelling the solid waste. Their diet of various small insects, which include their exoskeletons, and their tendency to eat large amounts at once contribute to the bulk and sausage-like shape of their droppings. 

Here’s a breakdown of why toad feces can be large:

• Diet:
  Toads eat a lot of food, often large insects and other invertebrates, to ensure they get enough nutrients before their next meal is uncertain. 
• Water Absorption:
  Their digestive systems are efficient at absorbing water from their food. This process concentrates the solid waste, making the resulting feces larger and more compact. 
• Exoskeletons:
  The remains of the insects they consume, such as their hard exoskeletons, add to the bulk of the feces, according to trackers. 
• Size of the Toad:
  Toads, in general, tend to be larger than many frog species, so they produce larger feces simply due to their overall body size and capacity for food consumption. 

So there you go. Use that information wisely.