Are toads tame-able?

[Kerry1968]

As you may know I have a toad (Bufo bufo) collected from my garden. He hasn't been with me long (a couple of weeks?), but I hardly see him! I have put lots of woodlice and a few worms in his tank and now and again I add a couple of crickets. I have never seen him eat, but he's still alive and not looking skinny, so I guess he's eating! The only time I see him is if I actually go searching through the soil, he then stays out for a while wandering around, sometimes for an hour or so. Even when I have sneaked downstairs in the night I haven't seen him out and about.

If I pick him up for any reason he puffs up so obviously doesn't appreciate it! I have only picked him up when changing the substrate in the tank, or like today when I cleaned the inside of the glass of the tank. Do you think he'll ever get used to me? I have read the care sheet so I know I shouldn't expect him to want to be handled. I know they are a 'look, don't touch' animal, I just wondered if I'm expecting too much from my garden friend?

As he is indoors, which is obviously warmer than outside, willl he still hibernate through Winter? I believe they burrow down in the soil in colder weather?

Sorry these may be dumb questions, but it's all new to me.

[John]

Hi Kerry.

They usually tame enough to not run away and to take food from forceps or even fingers. The problem is that your toad was wild all his life and had to watch out for predators, and now he's taking a while to get over that. I would make sure he's in a room where people pass his enclosure regularly but isn't too noisy. That way he'll get used to people being around and not so afraid of coming out. If you keep trying to hand feed him instead of letting the food go in his enclosure, he'll eventually learn you're where the food comes from. So keep persevering.

Best wishes,

-John

[Kerry1968]

Thanks John, I'll leave off putting any more food in for a couple of days and see if he's hungry enough to take food from me. Bless him! Lol.

[KellyM]

Like John said it takes time.
My red spotted toad was wild caught and it took her 4 or 5 months to settle down. I never saw her eat when I first got her but now ill see her catch a few. And while she still doesn't really like being picked up, she'll now tolerate it to be moved when I clean her.
I kept my toad in the bedroom, that way she would see people come in and out and not hurt her, but it wasn't the most active room in the house.
The little guy just needs some adjusting time to get used to recognizing you as something that won't kill him.

[Kurt]

I have had some of my Bufonids for years and they still haven't calmed down.

[SludgeMunkey]

I have a two B. nebulifer that will actually sit in my hand on their own accord to feed. The other three will eat from my hand, but not in it. The rest of my toads run for cover even at feeding time.

[scribbles]

I used to have an American Toad. He was was wild caught, and within a week of capture he would eat from my fingers. Sadly, he dried up when I was staying with a family member in a hospital.