Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi I'm extremely new to the world of toads as I've just taken in my very first this past Friday. From reading the forums I see many people using crickets as the main source of diet for toads, is there anything else they eat that is as nutritious and could add some variety? Right now I'm feeding him mealworms, how often should I do this? Is there a danger to overfeeding? As far as habitat is concerned what should I take into consideration as far ground and plant life? Thank you for any help.

with american toads there is a danger of overfeeding, they will eat everything and anything no matter how "full" they are. i feed mine crickets, mealworms, and earthworms. if yours is wildcaught (most are) then you can feed it anything from outside. the wc ones are immune to a lot of parisites that are in the bugs outside. they will eat ANYTHING that moves. make sure you dust it with vitiman/calcium powder at least every 3rd feeding. if you have any more questions about your new toad i would be glad to help. i have two now (one adult and one baby) and raised over 20 american toad tadpoles. heres a pic or the adults tank

Thank you for the reply, it was very helpful and I'm glad to know about the overfeeding issue and have since cut back on how often I feed him. Is there any specific way of identifying the sex of the toad? I just kind of assumed my toad was male.
I noticed in your terrarium you have a bit of plant life, what kind do you recommend planting? Also one last question for now, do toads needs any type of lighting at night? I've been wondering whether I should get a flourescent UV light for him but have been hesitant because of a)necessity and b)price. Thanks again for your help.

as far as sexing i have no idea, when adults the males will croak (especially if misted). that is the only way that i know of. i have tried lots of plants with american toads, they tend to wreck them within a month or so. plants that make good gorund cover are good, and a hardy plant that can stand the burrowing. they uproot most other plants. devils ivy, pothos, very similar seem to work very well, water the plants about every 1.5 weeks and douce it with water. i would recommend getting a large pothos because the smaller ones could be uprooted much easier. like one of the ones in the hanging basketw work well. make sure to have a thick layer of substrate ( i use the dirt from the expanding brick things) maybe 2-4 inches. i also put a thin layer of sheet moss over it (very thin) and that provides very good hiding spots along with the plants. they don't need any type of special lighting. they are nocturnal so they don't need a lite at all. i used to have a florescent on his tank but then took it off because he'de just hide from the lite. i did a test, i put it along the width of the tank so the other side was shady and he barly ever came to the lighted side. if you want one though just get one of the 1-2$ ones from home depot or something. getting one that doesn't run the full length of the tank woudl probally be better so they can have shade if they want it. make sure that you dust the food with vitiman/calcium supplements though, Rep Cal makes good ones, this is esp. important if there is no UVB light. glad i could help!

Male american toads have a dark chin and churp when handled, in my experance they tend to be more olive in color as well.
It is posible to fool then to come out during they day by having a light on at night and having a nightbuld on. The Toledo zoo in ohio does this and it makes for a very active display, they keep them in a seperate area that is not directly exposed to daylight