I lived in California for about 20 years. I moved around. I was a student and got my BA and my MLS at different schools. And, I lived with someone for a while.
I will, undoubtedly, confuse some of the places I lived but it doesn't matter, really.
One of the places I lived had a concrete slab of a patio outside sliding glass doors.
One night, early, it was just getting dark, I heard rustling outside. The sliding doors were open or I probably wouldn't have heard anything. There was a small pile of leaves next to the patio and the sliding doors. I followed the sound. I didn't see anything right away but something was definitely in the leaves. I don't remember the sequence of events but at some point I reached down and grabbed what seemed to be in the leaves. I almost dropped it. It was as big as both my hands together. It was a very big, very soft and mushy toad; sort of a yellowish green with a cream-colored belly. Big. It peed all over my hands; a common thing with reptiles and amphibians; at least that's been my experience.
I looked it over and put it back where it'd been. Toads are good.
My hands had a white film on them, not from the pee; toads secret a substance from their skin, bufotoxins, that are toxic. ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS WELL AFTER HANDLING REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS. Don't let your pets eat toads.
That's it. Just popped into my head tonight.
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