Cane Toad care

[Truffs1178]

I was thinking about getting a Cane Toad because I wanted a toad and I wanted it to be as big as possible. I was just wondering what foods would be the best in helping it grow to as large as possible. All the conditions in the tank are fine. Also if anyone has any tips on how to care for them that are not usually included in online care sheets then please tell me.

P.S. I know it's difficult to sex babies but how old do they have to be to sex them because I would like a female.

[demon amphibians]

Good choice in picking toads. i have a male and a female. My female eats a lot. It eats more then my pixie and my American bullfrog and is growing faster then any frog or toad species i own. They do tend to eat smaller prey compared to my other frogs. my pixie will eat mid sized rats. My cane toad wont go after a full grown mouse. but it will eat 4-5 hoppers each feeding. even though a cane toad will eat smaller prey then a frog of the same size it will still eat the same weight in food. It is very important to give them a wide variety of food. This is the case for any frog or toad but for cane toads it is particularly important. In the wild they can eat up too 500 different types of food in one night. I feed mine Madagascar hissing roaches, dubia roaches, crickets (gut loaded and dusted) small mice maybe hopper and fuzzy size, moths and rolly polly's. I also feed them spiders that i catch around my house they love these, but there all time favorite food are moths. because they eat so much culturing your own toad food would be the cheapest idea. They will also eat dog food and raw meat. I read on a care sheet that you can feed them strips of steak but i have yet to try that. I am not recommending it but it might be something worth researching. Dusting food is important to prevent bone lose.

For the habitat. The bigger the tank the better i use a 40 gal tank and that is a bit small for this species. Care sheets say to use coco fiber. I tried it and my toads didn't like it one bit. Best thing to do is mimic there natural habitat use gravel, rocks branches and plenty of plants and hiding spots. For the water dish something they have room to move in and at least 4 inches deep. For temp between 70 and 80 F would be fine although I recommend lower 70's. For humidity these are some dry climate toads so they don't need much. Misting there tank once a week to every couple of days would be fine depending on how dry of climate you live in.

Cane toads are believed to be the hardiest species of amphibian in the world they can handle chlorinated water (however i recommend treated water). They have even been found swimming in salt water. They are super easy to care for and it is hard to kill these guys. So long as they feel comfortable in there surroundings they will eat and eat and eat until they are the size of a chicken. The largest specimen ever caught is bigger than the Goliath frog. If you want yours to get super big a female is the route to go. As you probably already know males don't get very big.

For sexing the babies sorry i cant help you there. The coloration and the shape of the head is how you would tell but i don't know what age it becomes noticeable.

[toadstillcane]

Good choice in picking toads. i have a male and a female. My female eats a lot. It eats more then my pixie and my American bullfrog and is growing faster then any frog or toad species i own. They do tend to eat smaller prey compared to my other frogs. my pixie will eat mid sized rats. My cane toad wont go after a full grown mouse. but it will eat 4-5 hoppers each feeding. even though a cane toad will eat smaller prey then a frog of the same size it will still eat the same weight in food. It is very important to give them a wide variety of food. This is the case for any frog or toad but for cane toads it is particularly important. In the wild they can eat up too 500 different types of food in one night. I feed mine Madagascar hissing roaches, dubia roaches, crickets (gut loaded and dusted) small mice maybe hopper and fuzzy size, moths and rolly polly's. I also feed them spiders that i catch around my house they love these, but there all time favorite food are moths. because they eat so much culturing your own toad food would be the cheapest idea. They will also eat dog food and raw meat. I read on a care sheet that you can feed them strips of steak but i have yet to try that. I am not recommending it but it might be something worth researching. Dusting food is important to prevent bone lose. For the habitat. The bigger the tank the better i use a 40 gal tank and that is a bit small for this species. Care sheets say to use coco fiber. I tried it and my toads didn't like it one bit. Best thing to do is mimic there natural habitat use gravel, rocks branches and plenty of plants and hiding spots. For the water dish something they have room to move in and at least 4 inches deep. For temp between 70 and 80 F would be fine although I recommend lower 70's. For humidity these are some dry climate toads so they don't need much. Misting there tank once a week to every couple of days would be fine depending on how dry of climate you live in. Cane toads are believed to be the hardiest species of amphibian in the world they can handle chlorinated water (however i recommend treated water). They have even been found swimming in salt water. They are super easy to care for and it is hard to kill these guys. So long as they feel comfortable in there surroundings they will eat and eat and eat until they are the size of a chicken. The largest specimen ever caught is bigger than the Goliath frog. If you want yours to get super big a female is the route to go. As you probably already know males don't get very big.For sexing the babies sorry i cant help you there. The coloration and the shape of the head is how you would tell but i don't know what age it becomes noticeable.

you are killing your frogs an toads with mice and rats sir it leads to blindness an fat deposits mice or rat weaners should only be given as a treat not a suppliment for its food also top soil is no good asa substrate and cocco fibre or ecco earth is fine mine are burrowing fine sir its a matter of choice but please look up about rats and mice being bad now only recently noticed by phib keepers

[Gnag the nameless]

I disagree with you, toadstillcane. Many frog owners feed their frogs mice, and the frogs are fine with it. Also, Demon Amphibians has kept many different species of frogs, and has many years of experience with them. I would take his advice before the advice of many other people on this Forum. Cane toads also eat huge varieties of meals, often vertebrates included, and I am certain many wild cane toads eat mice. Perhaps for most frogs they are not a good staple or supplementary meal, but I can assure you that Demon Amphibians knows more about Cane toads and their care than either you or myself.

Topsoil is the most natural substrate out there, and I have never heard of any issues with it. If you are going to state "Topsoil is not a good substrate," please, explain why as well.

[toadstillcane]

I disagree with you, toadstillcane. Many frog owners feed their frogs mice, and the frogs are fine with it. Also, Demon Amphibians has kept many different species of frogs, and has many years of experience with them. I would take his advice before the advice of many other people on this Forum. Cane toads also eat huge varieties of meals, often vertebrates included, and I am certain many wild cane toads eat mice. Perhaps for most frogs they are not a good staple or supplementary meal, but I can assure you that Demon Amphibians knows more about Cane toads and their care than either you or myself.Topsoil is the most natural substrate out there, and I have never heard of any issues with it. If you are going to state "Topsoil is not a good substrate," please, explain why as well.

top soil is heavy dirty hard dries quicker need i go on so 20 liters of top soil say its bad but its my own experince also im new to cane toads but its not whos had it the longest or biggest its whats best for animal and my new imformation which ill glady share is suggesting that giving bull frogs mice regularly creates fat lumps as seen in snakes which also your going to tell i know knowing about these ok but ive put it to a breeder were i got my african bull frog from on line with a booklet sayin mice but studies show now that mice are bad ill find thread its from another forum am i allowed to post it also from owing phibs for a matter of months im doin also topsoil is very gritty and bitty and when your changing water everyday its apain with top soil also my canes dont like it wont burrow couldnt burrow infact compacted whats your great reason for using it now ecco earth brilliant wanna see burrowing holes my toads have made easy to burrow easier to keep water moisture consistancy also cleaner water for toads so it seems i know some thing you and willing to learn more but all im sayin is what new experts claim also what would you know what a cane toad will eat in wild sir were does it get dog food from herm itt doesnt we give it doesnt mean we should

[toadstillcane]

top soil is heavy dirty hard dries quicker need i go on so 20 liters of top soil say its bad but its my own experince also im new to cane toads but its not whos had it the longest or biggest its whats best for animal and my new imformation which ill glady share is suggesting that giving bull frogs mice regularly creates fat lumps as seen in snakes which also your going to tell i know knowing about these ok but ive put it to a breeder were i got my african bull frog from on line with a booklet sayin mice but studies show now that mice are bad ill find thread its from another forum am i allowed to post it also from owing phibs for a matter of months im doin also topsoil is very gritty and bitty and when your changing water everyday its apain with top soil also my canes dont like it wont burrow couldnt burrow infact compacted whats your great reason for using it now ecco earth brilliant wanna see burrowing holes my toads have made easy to burrow easier to keep water moisture consistancy also cleaner water for toads so it seems i know some thing you and willing to learn more but all im sayin is what new experts claim also what would you know what a cane toad will eat in wild sir were does it get dog food from herm itt doesnt we give it doesnt mean we should

Quote: Originally Posted by Uromastyxman I have had my African Bullfrogs and cane toads since I purchased them in 1991. the books and caresheets I have read since that time have all stated that these animals in the wild will consume almost anything they can overpower and get into their mouths. They also say that too many rodents can make them fat, effect their kidney and liver functions and could kill them. However they also say that feeding them rodents in MODERATION, is fine. I feed mine a huge variety of insects and every other month I will give them an adult mouse defrost, which they seem to relish and has not effected their health in anyway. I would prefer to believe what I have read from a variety of sources and take into account my own experiences. I have also encountered many underweight frogs and toads, who are fed store bought insects in the hope that this will be efficient. I have trained my animals to eat food parcels from tongs so this delivery system can provide them with any food I prepare for them. My argumant is MODERATION!!!If that is your arguement, I don't have much of a problem with it- although I would say that a proprtion of wild-caught food makes up for some of the deficiencies of 'store-bought'. If I misunderstood your earlier posts, which seemed to suggest that mice were the 'perfect' food, I apologise. this is from another forum dating back wait for it 2009 yes 2009 sir thats poor research on others parts not mine but its opinions again though so whos to say whos right and whos wrong but any over feeding on any animal is bad

[toadstillcane]

You say you don't feed you're bull frog mice then disagree with me on it an you say others do your al back tracking

[demon amphibians]

you are killing your frogs an toads with mice and rats sir it leads to blindness an fat deposits mice or rat weaners should only be given as a treat not a suppliment for its food also top soil is no good asa substrate and cocco fibre or ecco earth is fine mine are burrowing fine sir its a matter of choice but please look up about rats and mice being bad now only recently noticed by phib keepers

i only give them as a treat and i have also came across several references that states coco fiber is not favored by this species these guys are unlike frogs in huge ways. Coco fiber is best for many species of frog and toads but coco fiber which may not hurt is not the recommend environment . I am sure many cane toad owners may agree. I think i have these guys down thanks. And sorry if i did not specify mammals as a treat my bad on that part. You want as much of a natural environment as possible try looking up there natural environment and let me know what you find. And for the top soil i use i have a sure method of treating it for parasites and other junk. as well as where i get if from. also i don't use top soil. I do not believe I mentioned top soil. Rocks and top soil are not the same thing. My toads are stapled on roaches i give 5 small mice once a month if that along with every one of my frogs i own. Now what toadstillcane suggested, yes too much protein can and will cause a variety of issues even many he did not state. But I never said i stapled them. Does anybody see anything i mentioned in my statement, a staple of mice and rats? And its funny people say that they get info from breeders. Well i know several breeders who give in conclusive information and sometimes flat out bad info. Nice reference toadstillcane... next time lets find something solid instead of being a mockery.
I do not take one persons word or one reference and run with it I take many and with this species i have scrutinized dozens from experts. I love my pets and i research there health and well being much more then you have i bet. Before you start tearing apart other peoples advice maybe you should do a little more in depth research and please avoid putting words in their mouths.

And Caspian if you lived in San Diego i would have a beer waiting for you.

[toadstillcane]

dude you're claiming that I have done several different searches I didn't put words in anyone's mouth ok also its ppl like you that have been turning nature upside down and cross breeding phibs like pppl have done with snakes now I've just put words in youre mouth and everyone is doing things differently

[toadstillcane]

i only give them as a treat and i have also came across several references that states coco fiber is not favored by this species these guys are unlike frogs in huge ways. Coco fiber is best for many species of frog and toads but coco fiber which may not hurt is not the recommend environment . I am sure many cane toad owners may agree. I think i have these guys down thanks. And sorry if i did not specify mammals as a treat my bad on that part. You want as much of a natural environment as possible try looking up there natural environment and let me know what you find. And for the top soil i use i have a sure method of treating it for parasites and other junk. as well as where i get if from. also i don't use top soil. I do not believe I mentioned top soil. Rocks and top soil are not the same thing. My toads are stapled on roaches i give 5 small mice once a month if that along with every one of my frogs i own. Now what toadstillcane suggested, yes too much protein can and will cause a variety of issues even many he did not state. But I never said i stapled them. Does anybody see anything i mentioned in my statement, a staple of mice and rats? And its funny people say that they get info from breeders. Well i know several breeders who give in conclusive information and sometimes flat out bad info. Nice reference toadstillcane... next time lets find something solid instead of being a mockery.
I do not take one persons word or one reference and run with it I take many and with this species i have scrutinized dozens from experts. I love my pets and i research there health and well being much more then you have i bet. Before you start tearing apart other peoples advice maybe you should do a little more in depth research and please avoid putting words in their mouths.

And Caspian if you lived in San Diego i would have a beer waiting for you.

You said you do an then don't use top soil ???!,! Make up your mind top soil can be bought treated sterilised im making up a mixture of substrates like top soil leaf mulch compost etc

[demon amphibians]

You said you do an then don't use top soil ???!,! Make up your mind top soil can be bought treated sterilised im making up a mixture of substrates like top soil leaf mulch compost etc

I take it you have reading problems. I said I do not use top soil. I do know how to treat it if i did want to use it. Do i have to underline everything? Ok since you have the education of a 5th grader guess i will have too. And Do you know anything about the protien content of a mouse anyway? Or did you just hear it from someone? An insect such as a roach has more protein content per weight then a mouse and guess what my friend all the mice i feed my toads are smaller then the roaches i feed to my toads. So your telling me my roachs have to much protien for my frogs and toads now? Oh no i am killin my toads with protein rich bugs. Now since you dont know i will explain why mice are unhealthy (IF stapled). It is because the frog or toad digests the tissues differently compared to an invert (which are bugs and worms and such). You cant compare a toad digistion to ours but to help you understand it is similar to how red meat is unhealthy for us and can cause many health problems for us. I did mention I fed small mice right doctor? Its funny how you ask people not to argue with you and that people shouldn't talk to you like a child well your starting to sound like one with your insults and all your typical yank remarks. And it really must be nice to be able to say what you would like behind the safety of a computer but i am sure if you were speaking to me in person you would be showing much more respect. And yes I replied to Gonzo "mate" I spoke to him on PM about the matter. And your info on the lung worm is the least concern when you have a cane toad and a dog in your house by the way. You should know that with all your years of reasonable research.

Bottom line please talk to people with respect and it will be returned even if there is a point to argue.

[toadstillcane]

You bet you love you're animals more then me and you've done more searching then me know more haha I dont take one persons word you FOOLISH PRAT well you're looking a PLEB I've done years of reasonable research on phibs snakes dogs arrogant you are mate typical of a yank

[Gnag the nameless]

You bet you love you're animals more then me and you've done more searching then me know more haha I dont take one persons word you FOOLISH PRAT well you're looking a PLEB I've done years of reasonable research on phibs snakes dogs arrogant you are mate typical of a yank

I'm sorry I haven't checked up on this thread recently.

toadstillcane, due to your needless and rude insults toward Demon Amphibians, I am alerting John Clare, founder of the frog forum, as well as the moderators of your rudeness towards a kind and respectable member of this forum. They will decide the next best course of action.

I agree that you should be able to agree, disagree, and state your opinion, but if you are unable to do it in a respectful and civil manner you will subsequently have your account permanently banned from this forum.

[toadstillcane]

i only give them as a treat and i have also came across several references that states coco fiber is not favored by this species these guys are unlike frogs in huge ways. Coco fiber is best for many species of frog and toads but coco fiber which may not hurt is not the recommend environment . I am sure many cane toad owners may agree. I think i have these guys down thanks. And sorry if i did not specify mammals as a treat my bad on that part. You want as much of a natural environment as possible try looking up there natural environment and let me know what you find. And for the top soil i use i have a sure method of treating it for parasites and other junk. as well as where i get if from. also i don't use top soil. I do not believe I mentioned top soil. Rocks and top soil are not the same thing. My toads are stapled on roaches i give 5 small mice once a month if that along with every one of my frogs i own. Now what toadstillcane suggested, yes too much protein can and will cause a variety of issues even many he did not state. But I never said i stapled them. Does anybody see anything i mentioned in my statement, a staple of mice and rats? And its funny people say that they get info from breeders. Well i know several breeders who give in conclusive information and sometimes flat out bad info. Nice reference toadstillcane... next time lets find something solid instead of being a mockery.
I do not take one persons word or one reference and run with it I take many and with this species i have scrutinized dozens from experts. I love my pets and i research there health and well being much more then you have i bet. Before you start tearing apart other peoples advice maybe you should do a little more in depth research and please avoid putting words in their mouths.

And Caspian if you lived in San Diego i would have a beer waiting for you.

PLEASE SHOW evidence to show taht toads or frogs are not good in eco earth or coco husk please Also have you tried top soil yes ive tried it but at least ive tried more then i can say for you also if its not coco earth or compost or top soil what are you using please see i asked you questions but youre here to argue with me how childish sir i didnt get my information from a breeder you fool i put the book story teller what i had heard as it dsaid in it my african bull frog shuold be fed on mice as a diet ill put in evidence of others that are now sayin its bad also you said you wouldnt give your frog mice lmao this is not a competition who s read more you tubed more i have had an have many pets snakes toads dogs an frogs pity you couldnt answer my questions just *****

[froglover9]

Good choice in picking toads. i have a male and a female. My female eats a lot. It eats more then my pixie and my American bullfrog and is growing faster then any frog or toad species i own. They do tend to eat smaller prey compared to my other frogs. my pixie will eat mid sized rats. My cane toad wont go after a full grown mouse. but it will eat 4-5 hoppers each feeding. even though a cane toad will eat smaller prey then a frog of the same size it will still eat the same weight in food. It is very important to give them a wide variety of food. This is the case for any frog or toad but for cane toads it is particularly important. In the wild they can eat up too 500 different types of food in one night. I feed mine Madagascar hissing roaches, dubia roaches, crickets (gut loaded and dusted) small mice maybe hopper and fuzzy size, moths and rolly polly's. I also feed them spiders that i catch around my house they love these, but there all time favorite food are moths. because they eat so much culturing your own toad food would be the cheapest idea. They will also eat dog food and raw meat. I read on a care sheet that you can feed them strips of steak but i have yet to try that. I am not recommending it but it might be something worth researching. Dusting food is important to prevent bone lose.

For the habitat. The bigger the tank the better i use a 40 gal tank and that is a bit small for this species. Care sheets say to use coco fiber. I tried it and my toads didn't like it one bit. Best thing to do is mimic there natural habitat use gravel, rocks branches and plenty of plants and hiding spots. For the water dish something they have room to move in and at least 4 inches deep. For temp between 70 and 80 F would be fine although I recommend lower 70's. For humidity these are some dry climate toads so they don't need much. Misting there tank once a week to every couple of days would be fine depending on how dry of climate you live in.

Cane toads are believed to be the hardiest species of amphibian in the world they can handle chlorinated water (however i recommend treated water). They have even been found swimming in salt water. They are super easy to care for and it is hard to kill these guys. So long as they feel comfortable in there surroundings they will eat and eat and eat until they are the size of a chicken. The largest specimen ever caught is bigger than the Goliath frog. If you want yours to get super big a female is the route to go. As you probably already know males don't get tvery big.

For sexing the babies sorry i cant help you there. The coloration and the shape of the head is how you would tell but i don't know what age it becomes noticeable.

Cane toads are some of my favorite toads because they are hardy and bold. While they are big, they aren't very active, so they need a reletively small tank. If they are housed in a to big aquarium, they may have indinfood and they may get lost. A 20 or 30 gallon tank is good for one adult. While top soil is a good natural substrate, these are very messy toads and I reccommend damp paper towels instead. I keep my canes in 30 gallon tanks with a paper towell substrate and multiple hides and it works well with my toads. I feed my toads gut-loaded crickets and earthworms. I use vitamin supplements regularilly. I offer mine pinkey mice once or twice a month on tongs to vary their diet. I don't reccommend any more than that as it can lead to obesity.

[demon amphibians]

That's odd your toads are not very active. mine are more active then even my American bullfrog and if anyone knows them they are always out and about. A 20 to 30 gal tank is sufficient for babies but when they start reaching 5 to 6 inches it is time to upgrade. A cane toad full grown will have a hard time even turning around in a 20 gal tank. You have to remember this is the largest toad in the world And rule of thumb the larger the toad the more space is required. Now they do not require as much space as an American bullfrog which will need A 75-100 gal tank I think a 60 gal may be sufficient for two full grown toads. Any more then that you will need more space.

Can toads do require a good amount of calcium so it is good to be supplementing regularly.

Something good to remember about the cane toad is unlike frogs they hunt with smell meaning they will even go after a bug that is not moving i have personally seen this happen on several accounts. Which is a good reason they have been found to eat dog food placed out in peoples yards making them a threat to pets. I wouldn't go feeding your toads dog food don't get me wrong. Unlike a pacman or a pixie which do not need a lot of space because they will just sit and wait for there food to come to them. Cane toads will go out and hunt for there food. Now as for pinky mice they contain more fatty lipids per weight then a more mature mouse such as a hopper. To much of this will cause obesity but remember these toads are more active then most other large bodied frogs so it will take a lot more to make them obese but none the less you don't want an obese toad. Also in my research on the nutritional value of mice, pinkies have been found to have a dangerous from of calcium deposits that can cause liver illness in frogs and toads. However the information on that matter was inconclusive. The hair on the mouse as mentioned many times in this thread can cause impaction in amphibians but with this particular toad impaction is much lesser of a threat then most other species but it is always good to be cautious. If feeding as treats once or maybe even twice a month a full grown mouse fed to a 7 inch cane toad, the risk of impaction is almost non existent. However if you staple your toad on mice the risk of impaction isn't a matter of if it will happen, it is when.

[Heatheranne]

Hi Truffs, I moved your post to the toad area .