Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I reciently got a new pet toad. A common one native to NE US.

My question is do they change skin tones like some reptiles and fish do? I have noticed that he is much darker in color that wild ones I have handled and looked at and then let go.

The substrait I am using is an all natural potting soil that is dark in color. My little guy matches it almost perfectly. Did he change to match the soil or have I just lucked out and mine is unusally dark?

Any info is apreciated. Sorry no pics.
-----
1.0 BP Nicodemus
0.4 Cal Kings 3 alb 1 het Dora Queen Ace Pearl
2.0 Alb Corn Bizaar Elixir
0.0.1 Rev Alb Nelsons Oden?

Good question. Amphibians can, to a degree, change the color of their skin but it's nothing at all like a chameleon. Sun exposure, temperature, and humidity play a role in the brightness and tone of an amphibian's color. Colder cloudy/rainy days in the wild will yield darker colored amphibians. Gray Treefrogs, which have a better latin name: Hyla "versicolor" do this to an extreme. Depending on environmental conditions they can range from gray to green to brown. There is also some variation from individual to individual. American Toads, for example, can range in color from black to light tan or red. Females tend to be darker and redder but that's not always the case.

My toad is just about a year old now and still changes from dark to light. I think it is kinda neet.

Jaba is much bigger now than when I first got him and he still wiggles his rear toes when excited about food.

Happy spring all,

A
-----
1.0 BP Nicodemus
0.4 Cal Kings 3 alb 1 het Dora Queen Ace Pearl
2.0 Alb Corn Bizaar Elixir
0.0.1 Rev Alb Nelsons Oden?