Care for my Woodhouse toad

[Xubby]

Last May my girlfriend and I caught a handful of Woodhouse toadlets (the backyard literally had thousands, very cool) which we raised over the summer. We had originally planned to release them all, but I eventually broke down and we decided to keep one. There are a few issues I'd like some input on.

Burrowing. The tank has ~4 inches of soil. After a large meal, it's pretty common for her to burrow for a couple days straight. Usually we dig her up after about 48 hours and she goes back to being her gluttonous self. Is this normal? How long do you think she would stay under if left to her own devices? The tank stays in the low 70s fairly consistently, and what I've seen suggests toads won't hibernate in captivity without a little help, but the thought keeps popping in my head.

Hides. She seems to have zero interest in the bark hide I made her, except for hunting down any prey hiding inside. She'll sit in a corner of the tank, or occasionally make a wallow, but that's about it. It's a pretty plain cage layout at the moment. A 29 gallon with a water dish, a decently sized hide, and open space. Any suggestions that might make it a little more comfortable/stimulating for her? What are your experiences with hide use in captive toads, and any recommendations for hardy plants she won't just uproot week one? I could just keep it in a pot, but I prefer going as natural as is safe. She seems content, but if she's going to be spending the foreseeable future in the tank, I'd like to up my game a little.

Adulthood. As said, she hatched this spring. At nearly 9 cm, I think she's nearly done growing. Can Bufo grow significantly in their second year? Does the lack of hibernation their first winter alter their normal development any? At this point, I'm not too concerned with overfeeding, but when, if ever, should I be?

Multivitamins and parasites. We're lucky that we had a lot of access to a wide variety of safe, wild-caught insects, so I really only worried about calcium dusting as they grew. Going to a cricket only diet this winter has me concerned, so I'm planning to get a multivitamin supplement this week. Are they all about the same? She shows no sign of parasites, but as the food was all from outside, I realize it's a possibility. Any subtle signs to watch out for?

Sorry for the overload of questions.

[Mentat]

Hello and welcome to FF! Here is a nice Care Article with information for ground toads: Frog Forum - Toad Basics - Keeping ground-dwelling Toads. A care sheet for Bufo, Anaxyrus, Spea, Scaphiopus, Ollotis, Alytes, Pelobates . Your toad is acting normal! It's common for them to borrow and sometimes they do it for long periods of time (i.e. months). Missing a Winter hibernation will not affect your toad. Maybe you want to offer additional hiding spots like a partially burrowed clay pot.

In addition to crickets can feed Dubia roaches (both sized same as Toads between eyes distance) and night crawlers (not dyed from Walmarts sports section or local bait shop). At 9 cm. should be able to eat couple large (4-6 in) whole night crawlers. Dusting is important for all Toads in captivity. Here is a few schedules you can follow based on it's length: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html .

Sure way to know if it has parasites is by conducting a fecal test. A local veterinary with Herp experience can do for you or can even get them done online: Repti-Labs - Fecal Float Testing . If feeding animals from the wild or using yard soil there is always a chance of getting parasites. Instead of soil can also use shredded coco (Plantation Soil or EcoEarth) mixed with dechlorinated water until slightly damp (clumps in fist without dripping water.) Hope this helps and good luck !