Extremely odd Toad behavior

[Maharg]

Im not worried, I just thought itd be interesting to share this vid. Ive never seen her do this before. Does anybody know anything about this, or if its normal?

[tgampper]

I assume you are referring to the toad in the water dish. For the most part toads are not good swimmers, but do enjoy a shallow bath now and then. My toads don't spend a lot of time in the water bowl and only use it as a public toilet That means cleaning it every time. I did notice in the video that the toad reacted when drops of water hit the bowl, sign of a healthy toad.

[Maharg]

I assume you are referring to the toad in the water dish. For the most part toads are not good swimmers, but do enjoy a shallow bath now and then. My toads don't spend a lot of time in the water bowl and only use it as a public toilet That means cleaning it every time. I did notice in the video that the toad reacted when drops of water hit the bowl, sign of a healthy toad.

Holding her head underwater for several minutes was what I was getting at actually. It was happening for a long time before I started filming, and I've never seen my toad do this before.

[Maharg]

Its almost like the conditions are to dry and she is trying to get maximum surface area of her skin underwater. She has also been in the water for about 22 of the last 24 hours, which is also very rare for her. Ive been misting the tank twice as much now, but she still stays in.

[tgampper]

Holding her head underwater for several minutes was what I was getting at actually. It was happening for a long time before I started filming, and I've never seen my toad do this before.

OK, I get it now. Do you have enough substrate for the toad to bury itself? My toads like to bury their body and stick their head out to watch for food. Your terrarium conditions may be too dry depending on what species you have. Some like it dry and others prefer higher humidity. My dwarf African bullfrog will hold its head underwater for hours, then hop out and bury itself for a few days. Amphibians from temperate regions do well with a humidity gradient (places with high and low humidity).

[Maharg]

OK, I get it now. Do you have enough substrate for the toad to bury itself? My toads like to bury their body and stick their head out to watch for food. Your terrarium conditions may be too dry depending on what species you have. Some like it dry and others prefer higher humidity. My dwarf African bullfrog will hold its head underwater for hours, then hop out and bury itself for a few days. Amphibians from temperate regions do well with a humidity gradient (places with high and low humidity).

Thanks for the input. She has plenty of soil. 2 bricks of eco earth. She has always burrowed herself comfortably in the earth during the nights until last night when she held her head under and stayed in the water all night. She is normal again today, in fact she is burrowed for the night right now.
Ive read many conflicting sources on humidity levels for Rococo Toads, likely because they inhabit such a diverse area of the planet. Ive read as low as 50%, and as high as 80%. Ive always kept it around the middle at 60 to 70%, and she has always seemed happy with this. Thats why I found her behavior so odd.

[Wormwood]

Yeah, my toads do this when they are trying to get their backs under the water and the water level is to low. I always try to keep a dish in their tank that is deep enough so they can fully submerge (notice it also makes them feel more secure in the water dish). It's also good so when they shed they can get their backs wet and help the skin sluff off.

Which could be another issue, you might want to surround your tank on at least three sides with paper or some tank art. When a toad dips down like that (at least it's the case with my cane toads they are scared). It's hard to tell if yours is just fat, or is puffed up.

In regards to it being to dry, I wouldn't worry to much about that. The water dish is always there if they want to get wet. If you notice the toad spending all day in the water dish then it's probally best to wet the substrate. I've always belived anything near 80% humidity is way to humid for toads who can live without it. I keep mine in normal house temps (60-75) with around 45% humidity and every species I've ever had has done wonderfully.