Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yesterday I got 4 little eastern spadefoots. They are so adorable but I am not overly certain what they need as a cage to keep them happy. I put some medium sized crickets in there and as far as I can tell they are not interested in them. I am just trying to prevent a problem before one starts. What is a good set up for spadefoots?

Hi.

I haven't kept any Spadefoots in the past, but I have been doing a lot of reading on them and I am hoping to keep some at some point in the future. First off, these toads are a burrowing species that typically digs deep into the soil to avoid excess daytime temperatures and to also find soil that would contain more moisture. So, in captivity, you would want to give them as deep of a sandy soil as you can provide. I would suggest maybe running a small tube or funnel to the bottom of the tank so that you can periodically add water to the bottom of the enclosure, thereby always keeping the bottom part of the soil moist. The top of the soil can dry out, as the toads will burrow down to find the moist soil anyway. They don't need excessive heat, since they are digging to escape it anyway. Now the feeding part can be tricky with some of these Spadefoot species. Most of them will stay buried until it rains, thereby signaling them to come out of their burrows, look for food and mate if the time of year is right. So, in captivity, in order to get them to properly feed, you MIGHT need to heavly mist/water the top part of the soil in the evening to make them think it is time to come out and look for dinner. Crickets are fine and I would probably go with earthworms especially if you can obtain them. Using a vitamin supplement on them certainly couldn't hurt either! I would also provide a dish of drinking water as well, if I were you. Now, also keep in mind, if you supply these toads with this type of environment, which you should, it is very likely you will almost never see them. The will come out to feed (if you have simulated rain) very late in the evening/early morning, then they will burrow back down again before sunrise. Just thought I would let you know about that... Otherwise, these guys seem like great little toads. I hope that helps you out a little. =)

Jeff H.

actually this does help. after greatly misting them, 3/4 spadefoots ate. it's a start, anyhow. theyre these tiny little toads, though...about the size of a dime i'd say. that's why i was worrying, because i didnt know what real options there were besides small crickets. thanks!