The American toad (genus Bufo americanus) makes an excellent pet. Learn to take care of your toad and keep it healthy!
Steps
Step 1. Prepare a terrarium
- Make the terrarium as close as possible to the toad's natural habitat by including soil and sand, grass, water, branches and rocks.
- Find a 45-90 gallon aquarium. A 20-liter tank is too small to make a suitable terrarium, but it can be used temporarily.
- Fill the aquarium with 8-9 cm of organic soil, preferably with peat moss. 5 cm is enough if there are other places for the toad to take refuge, such as a plant with large leaves or pieces of bark. Most pet stores sell soil with coconut plant fibers or bark bedding, which is a great substrate.
- Use a Tupperware® container at least twice as wide as the toad and at least 4 times long (large enough for the toad to swim in): bury it so that the top is level with the ground and fill it with filtered / chlorine-free water. Amphibians are sensitive to chlorine, so don't use tap water if you live in the city; bottled water can be used. You can buy distilled water at many grocery stores.
- Get a medium-sized stone or piece of slate and place it at an angle in one of the corners of the terrarium - a toad may want to dig and hide under a rock.
- Place 1 or 2 small hollow logs and some moss in the terrarium to create a natural habitat for the toad. you can also use aquarium decorations to embellish it.
- Make sure the 'lid' closes tightly. Never leave the terrarium uncovered. Do not use a piece of cardboard to cover the terrarium.
- Make sure the temperature never drops below 15.5 degrees Celsius and never goes above 21 degrees.
Step 2. Feed the toad a proper diet
- In general, toads eat any small insects they can get into their mouths. A good habit is to feed the toad every other day.
- For a small toad: 2 small insects per day OR 1 small snail OR 1 cricket larva.
- Medium-sized toad: 2 small insects per day OR medium snail OR 2 small crickets
- Large toad: 3 small insects per day OR large snail OR 3 small crickets.
- Give the toad live insects - it only eats things that move. Do not try to feed dead insects, as they decompose quickly and the only relevant aspect of giving dead food is the risk of developing harmful bacteria.
- Toads are predators and are voracious. An adult toad in the wild can eat up to 25 insects in one night. In captivity, a well-kept toad is plump. A skinny toad is a hungry toad. You can find crickets in many pet shops or stores that sell bait. You can buy a dozen and keep them in a special tray giving them apple bits and a place to hide, such as the egg container.
Step 3. Alternatively, you can hunt outdoor insects such as small cockroaches, armadillidae and crickets to feed your pet
Toads love the small gray roundish insects (Armadillidiidae) that are often found under moist bark or pieces of wood on the ground, under rocks, and in other similar places. It's easy to get hold of them or even breed them - just take a large container and poke holes in the lid, put some rotten leaves, bark and crumpled paper and put the bugs in it. It usually works and reproduces
Step 4. Keep the terrarium clean:
change the water every day (the toad uses it as a toilet), remove the uneaten insects (crickets can bite the skin of the toad while it sleeps), remove the sand and earth from the decorations.
- If the earth becomes dry, use a vaporizer to moisten it. The toad also likes a sprinkle from time to time. Be careful not to turn the earth into mud! Just make sure it's not dry.
- If your toad is listless, lethargic, or very thin, google "toad disease" and specify your search by adding "thin" or another word that describes its current state.
- If the toad suddenly disappears, don't worry. He must have dug a hole in the ground to take refuge or take a nap. He will come out when he wants to go in the water or take some air.
- If you want to pick up the toad, remember to wash your hands thoroughly with mild soap and water and rinse them very well. The oils in our skin can hurt him.
Advice
- Make sure the toad has a hiding place and make sure it has a small pool of water to swim in - it can absorb water through its skin.
- Toads are not aggressive and do not bite. They have a defense system that secretes a toxic substance called bufotoxin. This is harmless to humans unless it comes into contact with open wounds or cuts, is ingested or comes into contact with the eyes.
- Don't be scared if you're looking for the toad and he's not there. He probably dug a hole in the ground. He will come back to the surface at night or when he is hungry or needs water.
- If the toad isn't eating, it may not be hungry. Toads can go a long time without eating, so don't worry. If he constantly refuses food, try to change his diet. A healthy toad is a skilled predator of anything small enough to fit into its mouth and rarely skips a meal.
- If the toad lies on its back and does not move, it is possible that it is stuck. Turn him over and gently touch his back to see if he moves. If it doesn't, wait for a while. It works especially with the little ones.
- Try not to touch the toad too often - its skin is very delicate. The oils in your hand can hurt him if you touch him a lot.
- Provide a good hiding place for the toad - a flowerpot with an opening will do.
- Make sure the terrarium has a secure cover - toads can jump much higher than imagined.
- Don't squeeze or squash the toad.
- Toads pee when they get scared. Do not drop the animal if it pees on you - its urine is not harmful in any way. Simply wash your hands as soon as possible.
- Females usually have yellow throats. Males have white throats with black dots.
- In the water container, the water level should not be higher than the poison glands on the toad's head.
- Don't let the toad escape!
- Keep at least one real plant in the terrarium.
Warnings
- Wash your hands every time you touch the toad.
- If you put branches in the terrarium, avoid using pine or other conifers - they can be harmful to the toad.
- Do not allow the toad to come into contact with any other pet. American toads have a poison gland that is toxic if ingested and can irritate the skin.
- Avoid putting sharp rocks in the terrarium.
- Toads can be plump and must have spacious hiding places.
