Toad overfeeding?

[LazyEyedFroggie]

I have two young western toads, they're about one inch long (and wide!) They both eat 4-8 small mealworms or calcium dusted crickets per day. Am I overfeeding them? They're about two months old.

[Poly]

Nope! Toads are hard to overfeed, they generally know their limit. Young toads require A LOT of calicum and vitamin dusted food so as juveniles they are hard to "overfeed". Also, toads tend to me rather "square" meaning that often their lenght will match their width!

It's when they are adults that you should feed them every second day.

~Royce

P.S. I have just started feeding my toads mealworms, do you feed yours mealworms as a staple?

[Wormwood]

I'm going to play devil's advocate and say yes. I find it takes my toads quite a while to pass/digest chitin from crickets and meal worms. If you feed them daily you risk them gathering to much in their stomach and intestinal system which causes blockages (which can be deadly).

Feeding a toad two-three times a week, a meal you describe (especially for such a young toad) is by far enough.

You might want to try feeding them softer foods one week like grubs, small earth worms and then go with meal worms and crickets on the other off week. My experience this helps limit impaction problems.

[Poly]

Feeding a toad two-three times a week, a meal you describe (especially for such a young toad) is by far enough.

Juvenile toads require daily feeding. You may want to provide them with more of a variety (as also suggested by Wormwood) of foods such as worms, wax-worms and butter-worms. Since they are soft, it would be a nice change for them. I think the meal you are feeding them daily is fine. Could you please post photos of the toads and the mealworms in comparison to them in the photos.

Thanks,

~Royce

[LazyEyedFroggie]

I do not feed mealworms as a staple, but I do offer them about every week. and I know toads are cute lil chubby things and isn't feeding them only 2-3 times weekly not enough, especially for juvenilles? I occasionally give them moth larvae that are around the house. I will post pictures of them side by side when I get more meal worms, but I can post pictures of just the toads beside something that shows their size now, if you'd like. Thanks!