Odd toad toe twitching...

[frogladysj]

Hello, I am curious to the toad (bufo) people on here. I have several healthy, active, fat American toads, hatched from eggs last summer. I released most, as I had no need for 200+ toadlets. Watching them the other night, I noticed something I had never seen before, in any toad or frog I have ever kept. The biggest toad, a good 2-2 1/2 inches, was just sitting, and the longest toes on his hind feet were twitching! Almost a light fluttering! He seemed completely unfazed, moved off just fine to go munch some dusted crickets, and then it stopped. My toads have full spectrum lighting, clean water (dechlored, etc) every day, deep bedding to promote burrowing, and a good varied diet. I am not a newbie, been raising and breeding and etc toads and frogs for 20+ years. But I have never seen anything like that before. Any ideas?? Thank you!

[GrifTheGreat]

Hello, I am curious to the toad (bufo) people on here. I have several healthy, active, fat American toads, hatched from eggs last summer. I released most, as I had no need for 200+ toadlets. Watching them the other night, I noticed something I had never seen before, in any toad or frog I have ever kept. The biggest toad, a good 2-2 1/2 inches, was just sitting, and the longest toes on his hind feet were twitching! Almost a light fluttering! He seemed completely unfazed, moved off just fine to go munch some dusted crickets, and then it stopped. My toads have full spectrum lighting, clean water (dechlored, etc) every day, deep bedding to promote burrowing, and a good varied diet. I am not a newbie, been raising and breeding and etc toads and frogs for 20+ years. But I have never seen anything like that before. Any ideas?? Thank you!

They do it to attract prey. You know to trick the prey to come over and investigate the movement and then CHOMP! Gotcha. There are other species that perform this baiting technique as well.

[frogladysj]

Interesting!! I googled it, and it was mostly assumptions, with a few that said they have ever only observed it in Bufos... I was worried that there was some sort of nerve issue, or something along those lines... How about head bobbing? My fiancee just told me he saw one toad bobbing his head, like an iguana would do to display... I have weird toads, I swear...

[GrifTheGreat]

Interesting!! I googled it, and it was mostly assumptions, with a few that said they have ever only observed it in Bufos... I was worried that there was some sort of nerve issue, or something along those lines... How about head bobbing? My fiancee just told me he saw one toad bobbing his head, like an iguana would do to display... I have weird toads, I swear...

I've seen the head bob in wild Toads. I believe that is like a threat display of a "this is my territory" display. There a some species of lizards that do the head bobbing in that manner.

[kueluck]

I LOVE the toe twitch. I watch mine do the toe twitch while hovering over the roach dish.

[Inigo]

I have heard that Big Cane Toads do this to attract smaller Cane Toads over to eats them?? According to a scientist that works at Fogg Dam in OZ