Cane Toad

[Chelsea729]

I just rescued a cane toad from a bad situation, but she isn't eating and when I try to feed her in the feeding bin all she does is pee. I touch her or go into her enclosure to change her water she just puffs up and blows out air really loudly. She was housed with four other toads - could she be lonely? Or just stressed out?

I can understand if she was eating, but she isn't. I've had her for 5 days now, I'm really worried. I don't want to just leave crickets in her enclosure because I don't want her biting them. She even puffs up if a super worm crawls on foot.

She is basically full grown (7 inches and very chubby)

What should I do????

[victorsgrace]

Hey Chelsea.

Wauw she sounds really stressed. The puffing up and blowing air out is a defence mechanism against predators and I know that the peeing is a mechanism common toads uses if they're really scared, to ward off enemies. I have two Bufo bufos and my smallest quy, Louis, will still not feed in a feeder tank and also just sat and peed and peed the first time I had him in it, even though I put a cover-lid over it so they couldn't see me.

If she's this stressed when you take her out and handle her, it's unlikely that she'll eat outside of her container.

How long have you had her in her new container for? And how is she housed?

Just on the top of my head I'd say keep her in a container with proper substrate for a cane toad and propper set ups (Frog Forum - Toad Basics - Keeping ground-dwelling Toads. A care sheet for Bufo, Anaxyrus, Spea, Scaphiopus, Ollotis, Alytes, Pelobates)

Give her places to hide, clean water, put her tank in a place that's not too trafficed or where she cannot be seen easily from outside of the tank and give her time to settle in to her new enclosure. Crickets are only a threat to her if you leave them there in very high numbers with nothing else to gnaw on. To my experience there's no harm in leaving 4-5 crickets with her, unless her enviroment is grossly small and completely bare for live plants, substrate or hiding places.

When she calms down she's more likely to eat and probably will eat when you're not around to begin with. Maybe the trip stressed her out, new surroundings and depends on how used she is too being hand handled, so give her time with a good set up and don't find her out, grab her or handle her too much the first few days. Just supply clean water every day and fresh food, then I think she'll be okay.

[Chelsea729]

Hey Chelsea.

Wauw she sounds really stressed. The puffing up and blowing air out is a defence mechanism against predators and I know that the peeing is a mechanism common toads uses if they're really scared, to ward off enemies. I have two Bufo bufos and my smallest quy, Louis, will still not feed in a feeder tank and also just sat and peed and peed the first time I had him in it, even though I put a cover-lid over it so they couldn't see me.

If she's this stressed when you take her out and handle her, it's unlikely that she'll eat outside of her container.

How long have you had her in her new container for? And how is she housed?

Just on the top of my head I'd say keep her in a container with proper substrate for a cane toad and propper set ups (Frog Forum - Toad Basics - Keeping ground-dwelling Toads. A care sheet for Bufo, Anaxyrus, Spea, Scaphiopus, Ollotis, Alytes, Pelobates)

Give her places to hide, clean water, put her tank in a place that's not too trafficed or where she cannot be seen easily from outside of the tank and give her time to settle in to her new enclosure. Crickets are only a threat to her if you leave them there in very high numbers with nothing else to gnaw on. To my experience there's no harm in leaving 4-5 crickets with her, unless her enviroment is grossly small and completely bare for live plants, substrate or hiding places.

When she calms down she's more likely to eat and probably will eat when you're not around to begin with. Maybe the trip stressed her out, new surroundings and depends on how used she is too being hand handled, so give her time with a good set up and don't find her out, grab her or handle her too much the first few days. Just supply clean water every day and fresh food, then I think she'll be okay.

I have her in a 24 in by 12 in bin ... she is on moist eco earth, has one hide, and a large water bowl ... this is a very basic setup (i know), but thought it would be ok because my american toad and african bullfrog have the same set up. Her temps remain between 75-80 ... I got her from this professor at my school, he uses them for his experiments, but has no use for the really large ones so she isn't really use to humans (he has some guy from miami send them up here to Ma)

Maybe its the change in settings because he had them since june and they are all kept on repti carpet - I live right next to the building they are kept so she traveled 1 min (walking)

I will try to leave some crickets in there for her tomorrow

[demon amphibians]

Sounds very normal for a new cane toad. when i first got mine it took them almost two weeks to start eating. It is the setting change that does this to them and also the stress of being around humans. But it is important to pay attention to how much they are eating. They will eat more then an adult pixie. However cane toads prefer smaller prey. It takes time for them to eat in front of you. I have had mine for a year and they are still very shy. You have been given great advice. The only tip i have to offer now is be patient.

[victorsgrace]

Sounds good, Chelsea I think she'll come around in time.

Regarding her enclosure, it's up to the personal owner. She's not suffering, but my personal opinion is that any animal with a sense of self-awareness (knowing it's alive) should have an enclosure that gives it something it can be cause over - like stuff to climb, water to mess around in, substrate to dig in, so on.

A year ago or so I kept tame show mice and many of the breeders I knew just kept them in RUB's (or IKEA boxes), where they had sawdust, water and food. And maybe a toilet paper roll, that's it. Widely seen this is accepted as being "okay" and although I know mice are likely more intelligent and aware than a toad, being mammals, minimum stimulation in my eyes is a bit sad to the pet, since it hasn't chosen to be kept as a pet. I hear Bullfrogs and Pacmans aren't very active and just sit anyway, so maybe this is different, but when she's settled in and is calmed down, maybe give her an awesome enclose where she can really "feel wild"!

[Mentat]

Hi Chelsea! Try and get some plain (not dyed) Night Crawlers from Walmart or a bait shop. Just place in front of toad and move away. Maybe toad will eat them and those earth worms are far more nutritious than crickets. Good luck !

[Chelsea729]

Hi Chelsea! Try and get some plain (not dyed) Night Crawlers from Walmart or a bait shop. Just place in front of toad and move away. Maybe toad will eat them and those earth worms are far more nutritious than crickets. Good luck !

I usually have some because my blue tongue skink and african bullfrog (its hard for her to grab them though) loves them but I will leave some in there for her. I always keep crickets, earthworms, and dubias, but the earth worms and dubias are the first to go. I also keep pill bugs in all my enclosures that have eco earth in them

Thanks

[Janice]

what have you been trying to feed it? Try everything, and try it all again the next day maybe skip a day and do it again. I have a small sea foam pac man, and when you try to feed him from tongs he wont eat, I was really getting concerned about what he was living on when I realized he must have been eating some of the crickets I thru in or worms because he was getting bigger. If he is hungry he eats he just doesn't eat as often as the AFB.... you dont know what its eating habits were before and if it wasnt happy then its eating pattern wasn't good before just be patient.