Full from shedded skin? No food intake since shed... getting worried...

[Poly]

My toad Bruce shedded on Tuesday, and hasn't eaten since, I'm assuming because she is full form the large "meal" but should I be worried? 3 days now she has not eaten anything.

She still soaks, hops around and burrows normally, but no food intake!?

I mean, realistically thinking about it, I'd imagine in the wild there are times where they will go 3 days without food because of unavailabilty, rather than by choice as she is doing.

Either way, I'm starting to become concerned, what should I do if she won't eat tommorow? And is her "lack of appetite" due to the skin she consumed?

Thanks,

~Royce

[Wormwood]

I wouldn't worry about it. Often they'll dig into substrate and stay down under it for weeks if it's moist enough. I don't bother them, they come out when they are hungry.

There isn't much you can do if it's not eating. Sooner or later the hunger will come back. Maybe leave some small meal worms or pill bugs in a little ceramic dish in the tank to stimulate it and give it something to eat when your not around.

[Poly]

Weeks!? Wow, guess a shoudn't be worried after 3 days Okay, Great feeding trick, that's what I'll do!

[Poly]

How long can toads go without food (by choice)?? I thought leaving them for a day was to long!

[Wormwood]

Remember toads just like snakes and reptiles and are cold blooded. If you feed them a decent sized meal (10 crickets) it should last them the whole week (if not longer). My rule of thumb though is if I see them out of a burrow I offer them some food, or leave some food in a little dish. Depending how cold it is in your house their metabolisms digest food at different rates.

More often the not toads though will gorge themselves until they no longer can fit anything else in their stomaches (but this generally isn't healthy); much like us over eating you risk causing damage to your digestive system. And then there is the matter of impaction, much like our constipation.

[Poly]

Yes, I knew they are cold blooded. I normally feed the male 2 5" worms a day and the female 4-6 grasshoppers a day, but since the cold weather has arrived finding grasshoppers is almost impossible, so I've been trying to feed her worms (not much luck with that). Other than that, I've have been feeding her woodlice.


Right now, their tank is at 20C (65-70F) and their humidity is at 85%. Should I get a lamp to shine on them at intervals of the day (was going to use a Zoo-Med Nature Sun Bulb for the light) to help the plants grow, but to also increase their temps a little?

If I the light directly on my plexiglass lid, will it dmage the lid at all?

Thanks,

~Royce