Surprise in the Cellar

The other day I went into the cellar to refill my potato basket that I keep in the kitchen pantry (it only holds about 3-4 pounds of potatoes).  I opened the cellar door, leaned in to grab the pull chain for the light in order to turn the light on, and simultaneously stepped down into the cellar.  As my foot was about to hit the floor, the cellar was bathed in light and I got a surprise.

Quickly I halted my foot's progression toward the floor in order to not squish the toad.  Then I noticed another toad nearby.  Then I ran back upstairs to get the camera in order to document this strange occurance.  :0)



Two toads in my cellar which has no access from outdoors!  In the 10 years since we've built the cellar, I've never had toads there.  Mice, yes.  Not surprising, since mice climb and squeeze through little openings, as well as chew wood and anything else houses are made out of.  But toads?!?  Where did they come from?  How did toads come to find my cellar?

All I can think of is that these two must have burrowed down from the outside, then come up through the dirt floor.  Which, since the ground level is, at the lowest point, about six feet higher than the cellar floor, seems like quite an undertaking.

Now I'm wondering if I should allow them to live in my cellar, or 'rescue' them to the outdoors, since I don't think the cellar will provide enough toady foods to sustain them through the summer.