How to Keep Toads Alive

Toads also will eat spiders, grubs and snails.

All toads belong to the order Anura and the family Bufonidae. These amphibians are drier and contain more warts than frogs and are found across the world in both dry and tropical climates. According to the Reptile Channel, the American toad will live up to 30 years with proper care. Keeping your toad alive for years can be achieved with proper diet, an adequate water supply and the ideal environment.

Things You'll Need

• 10-gallon glass aquarium
• Substrate
• Bark, sticks or rocks
• Shallow bowl
• Bottled water
• Waxworms, mealworms, crickets and earthworms
• 15-watt, full-spectrum light with UVB output
• Small thermometer

Instructions

1. Provide the toad with adequate housing. This consists of a 10-gallon glass aquarium with a 2-to-4-inch layer of substrate such as cat litter, torn pieces of white paper towel or sphagnum moss. The toad will use the substrate to burrow when temperatures are higher.

2. Set other objects into the aquarium to provide cover for the toads to hide. These can include clean pieces of bark, small sticks and rocks.

3. Set a shallow bowl into any corner of the aquarium and keep it filled with a constant supply of fresh water. Make sure the bowl is large enough for the toad to sit comfortably inside. Use bottled water as it is filtered and free of many potentially harmful chemicals that are found in tap water. Avoid giving the toad distilled water as it lacks any of the minerals that the toad requires. The bowl also will provide the humidity and moisture the toad needs.

4. Feed the toad every other day. According to the Reptile Channel, an adult toad will eat three to six different foods during a single feeding. A toad will consume waxworms, mealworms, crickets and earthworms. Set the food onto the floor of the aquarium and allow the toad to find it instead of attempting to hand-feed the amphibian.

5. Maintain a constant temperature in the toad's habitat of between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a 15-watt, full-spectrum light with a UVB output to help maintain this temperature. Install a small thermometer inside the aquarium to provide a constant temperature reading.

6. Take your toad to a veterinarian if its eyes become cloudy, it refuses to eat or seems listless. These are signs that the toad may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency or a potential illness.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash your hands after and before handling the toad to prevent the spread of bacteria.

References

• Reptile Channel: American Toad Care and Husbandry; Margaret Wissman
• PETCO: Fire-Bellied Toad Care Sheet
• Jungle Walk: Toad Information