Bufo boreas halophilus

[pin-pin]

Update: My toad say 'hi.'

Here is its new home.

This is my first time caring for a toad, so please give some serious suggestions. There might be more additions that could increase the toad's comfort.

 

[ira]

Hi Toad!

The set up looks good Pin Pin. I would just make sure the water isnt too deep, toads have been known to drown themselves when they arnt too busy drying themselves out!

 

[pollywog]

Hi Pin Pin, just a couple of suggestions, If using gravel with Toads I always like to cover as much of the surface with moss, just to avoid the intake of gravel with food items. Also Bufo like to burrow so maybe add a pot filled with soil or coco humus for him to dig into if he wants to.

 

[alan]

Yes, ditch the gravel and go with a softer substrate. In general, toads like drier conditions than frogs, so try to create a warm, dry end and a cool wet end in the tank, both with hiding places and let them choose.
Nice (I like toads!).

 

[morg]

I am in agreement with Alan about providing a dry end to the tank.
All of my Bufo toads are in set ups going from damp with plants etc at one end, to completely dry at the other.
Although there are places to hide at both ends,all the toads without exception use the hides at the dry ends of the set ups.

 

[pollywog]

In my Bufo tanks I use the same substrate mix as with my Ambystoma, comprising of equal parts coco humus and sterilised top soil, with a handful of orchid bark. I too provide an atmospheric change in the tank, it tends to be leaning more towards the dry side as I often find that the over-splash area around the water dish provides enough of a damp area. I also provide a number of hides dotted around the tank but they tend to burrow and make their own hides. I find this to be the same with the majority of Bufo species.

 

[edward]

Hi All,
At the moment given the size of the toads, I wouldn't be too concerned with the toads eating the gravel.
I have kept a number of different bufonids and have never provided a total dry area in the tank (particuarly with very small toads). Off exhibit I tend to keep them on moistened sphagnum moss in a slanted tank which creates a moisture gradient along with a shallow water bowl. The water bowl is changed daily.

Ed

 

[joseph]

Looks fine in my opinion, these guys are surprisingly strong swimmers for being land animals, compared to, say, treefrogs. The water section would be good backup in case the tank dries accidentally, as small toads dehydrate surprisingly fast.

 

[jenn]

Hi, Pin-Pin - that's a gorgeous toad! I do love toads...

If I do this right, here's a picture of my own toad setups. In it you can see my b. terrestris and b. brongersmai. They seem to love it and it gives them an option of where to go. The "dirt" side is deep coco humus over loose topsoil with two cave options and a deep moss layer as a second level. My b. terrestris spends most of his time burrowed in the moss. The "stone" side is a swimming pool with stepping stones and gravel. I've observed that the b. brongersmai is quite a smart toad as it will go to the gravel side to hunt crickets. It seemed to realized that hunting crickets in the humus only got it a mouthful of dirt! But it's still young and prefers sleeping in the swimming pool or on the gravel....which struck me as strange, but is starting to make sense.

The b. terrestris is a spooky toad and doesn't like people anywhere near it, so spends much time in hiding. The b. brongersmai is a very confident toad who seems to enjoy a bit of attention. So the setup caters to both personality types.

 

[pin-pin]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I'll look about to adding a dirt section though I know the first thing it will do is to throw the dirt everywhere (as he did in his last tank.)

 

[joseph]

Pin: I noticed they like burrowing, particularly if there is a carpet of plants above the dirt to uproot. I've found these toads in midday huddled in depressions in the soil under thickets of plants. Round where I live, they seem to be quite abundant and in summer I can easily catch 2 dozen in an hour or so(but release them all of course)

 

[char]

hello, I just caught my california toad in my front yard, i live in the high desert with only a 18 gallon tote filled with mosquito fish, which have been dwindling in numbers. do toads eat mosquito fish?they areless than 2 inches long.I am going to try to keep him as a pet, but if he (or she, dont know which) starts tolook weak,i will let him loose. I had a baby diamondback rattlesnake that animal control removed from inside cabinet in kitchen,today, so feared there might be more that might kill toad. have had good luck reading other posts to find out how to care for toad,what do I feed it? thankyou for your time.

(Message approved by jennewt)