American Toad Care Guide
The American toad is one of the easiest amphibians to keep (not to mention easiest to get). This makes it a great starter pet for anyone wanting to start practicing amphibian husbandry. They have a simple set of needs and require less maintenance than other amphibians.
In this article, we’ll talk about how to care for an American Toad- from how to build its habitat to its diet to long term maintenance and watching out for its health.
Biology of The American Toad
The American toad (Anyraxus americanus) is a small to medium-sized toad native to North America. Its range covers much of eastern Canada and the United States, as far west as Oklahoma and as far south as Louisiana. It is incredibly common across its range, and if you live around it, you’ve definitely seen or heard one before.
In fact, many American toad owners will capture them as babies and raise them in captivity. That’s one of the best parts about American toads- they’re everywhere, and they’re free!
Toads reach maturity in three years and can live up to 30 years. As adults, American toads reach 2.5-3” long (from snout to tail). They live in marshes, wetlands, and riverbanks, where they depend on perennial water sources and dense vegetation for hides. They eat invertebrates including insects and earth worms.
These are the conditions you’re trying to create when you make a habitat for one. You’ll need a good hide, a good water source, and a substrate they can burrow in. You’ll also need a steady supply of insects and yummy worms. But more on that later.
Permeable Skin
Like all amphibians, American toads have permeable skin that allows them to consume sodium from the water they live in. This may seem minor, but it is one of the most defining features about them in terms of how you should treat them as a pet owner.
Toads can take in all kinds of toxins through their skin which can cause health problems and even death. You should be thinking about this all the time, in terms of everything that might come into contact with your toad.
For example, your toad should never come into contact with bleach or vinegar used for cleaning. If you need to handle them, you should use sterile gloves or wash your hands without soap. Any water you give them needs to be dechlorinated (not out of the tap).
Setting Up a Toad Habitat
Toad habitats are fairly simple, all things considered. To begin, you need an aquarium. 10 gallons will hold one toad, 30 could hold three or four.
In terms of setting that space up, you can be as simple or complex as you want. Toads do well in bioactive aquariums, but beginners will probably want to start with silk plants. You should take these out and boil them once a month. If you do want to try live plants (pothos work well for a start), pot them because otherwise your toad will dig them up.
Substrate and Hides
We recommend using a layer of gravel, which will create a barrier your toad can’t burrow through to the glass. It also creates air space under your main substrate which will help control the humidity and reduce the odds of rot. On top of that, you should do about three inches of coconut bark or something without particulates.
Next, you’ll need a hide. A log or cork tunnel works great for this. Some strategically placed plants will give them other places to hang out. You also need a water dish.
Light, Heat, and Humidity
Last, you need light. Most folks recommend UVB, but if you’re using live plants you’ll need full-spectrum. A combination of UVB and direct sunlight is probably the best all-around.
The exact conditions in the habitat depend on your toad. Some need it to be exactly 70°F, others are fine anywhere from 60 to 70. Humidity-wise, around 50% is the magic number. Higher than 65% increases the chances of disease.
Care, Feeding, Cleaning
American toads can eat a wide variety of invertebrates, but the main key to keeping one healthy and happy is variety. They love earthworms, as we’ve already mentioned, but worms should be treated more as a snack food than a staple.
You might consider giving them dubia roaches for their main food source and supplementing them with nightcrawlers and the occasional superworm or mealworm. They would also do very well with black soldier fly larvae for their main insect protein.
You can feed your toad once daily. Adults will eat three to six insects per day. Insects should be as long as the distance between your toad’s eyes. If you give them worms, you may need to cut them up to get them sized right.
Regular cleaning is essential with amphibian care. Your toad’s habitat needs to be spot cleaned daily and deep cleaned monthly. Daily spot cleanings mostly just involve removing poops and any leftover dead insects. You should also give them fresh non-chlorinated water daily.
Once a month, you will move your toad into a separate clean container and remove all the substrate and furniture. You should boil your plants, gravel, and other furniture and let it cool and dry for two hours before replacing it in the aquarium. Add a new layer of coconut bark, replace the furniture, and put your toad in.
Health Concerns to Watch For
Toads are susceptible to a few types of health problems, but the main thing to watch out for is parasites. Most parasites that affect American toads are trematodes or flukes. Trematodes can work into the legs of growing frogs but can also infect their lungs.
Toads are pretty good at managing parasite loads. But if your toad stops eating or becomes lethargic, you may need to collect a fecal sample to give to your vet. If your vet finds a high parasite load, they will probably prescribe a dewormer.