Toad keepers-how deep is your substrate?

[Psychotic]

I use anywhere from 3-5 inches. I currently have 5 inches of eco earth. My toads are burrowed for the winter. Have been since November.

As to giving them less substrate. I have only given them a inch or 2 before and they still tried to burrow it in. They would hunker down and close their eyes tight, as if they were completely burrowed. They have never been really fond of the hides I've given them. The only one they seem to actually ever use is a plastic basket that I cut a hole into and placed upside down.
I have also given them just paper towel. They shredded it trying to burrow and ended up all hunkered down in a corner. I feel too sorry for them and always give them deep substrate again.

Last winter my toad Jabba died. Sometimes animals die in brumation. There is risk, even when conditions seem perfect.
This winter has been pretty cold. But every time it warms up a little after a cold spell the toads come up and shed. I feed them and then they burrow again. They have done this twice so far. I have dug them up a couple of times to check on them. Probably not the best thing to do. But so far everyone seems to be doing well.
Last year I didn't dig anyone up or any time before that. But after Jabba died; like you, I was worried.

I'd only give them a couple of inches of substrate. Then they can somewhat burrow and you will still be able to find them easily. Also your toads might actually use their hides, unlike mine. The only reason that I give mine so much to burrow in, is because I am actually cooling them. I want them to have a little protection against the cold.

[kueluck]

Yes mine do use the hides when they are up, and the temps don't vary that much for me during the winter since I keep a heat lamp on, so not sure why they want to hibernate. Crazy toads.

Thanks guys for the input, keep it coming.

[nicodimus22]

I give my American toad about 3 inches of Eco Earth, but she never burrows, even for the winter. I have a big hide and lots of ground cover, and she seems content with that. If I noticed her burrowing, I would give her deeper substrate, but it's always in the 70s in that room so I suspect she just doesn't feel the urge.

[victorsgrace]

Condolences on Rufus, Gail.

My two guys are wildcaught and when they first came inside, Louis went completely underground for to-three days, all the way to the bottom, until I took him up and fed him (they were both undernourished when found, so I needed to get something in him). At that time I was keeping them in a Fauna box and their substrate was around 4 inches. Birger just made a preferred hole for himself, which was about 2 inches deep and never burrowed any further.

Today I keep the guys in an avarage of 2 inch deep substrate. What I do to conpensate for possible lack of depth is to variate the depth of the substrate. I gave them each a small pot, that I dug down halfway in tipped angle, filled the "ground" in the pot with substrate and covered the back and body of the pot with substrate. Otherwise I have supplied them with artificial shrubbery, live moss-pads and two branches, one that's placed over the corner of their watertank.

Every evening or second evening their mosspads, plants and branches are sprayed with water to mimic nightfalls natural himidity in DK, besides a change of the waterdish.

They seem very pleased : They have their preferred spots. Birger prefers to hide under the plank in his waterdish and Louis prefers to burrow 1½ inch between the two pots or find a hidden place, under one of the mosspads. As for hibernation goes, they first went lazy and both dissappeared under mosspads or a 2 inch dug hole, on their way to hibernation (because the light was fading, even tough the temp was stable). This went on for two-three weeks, but as the temp remained stable, they snapped out of it.

They are also very active, trotting around their enclosure alot during the early morning hours, dusk- and nighttime. <3

[bluesclues]

Yes mine do use the hides when they are up, and the temps don't vary that much for me during the winter since I keep a heat lamp on, so not sure why they want to hibernate. Crazy toads.

Thanks guys for the input, keep it coming.

...
This is where you mentioned using a heat lamp... sometimes toads dry out, sometimes pathogens build up over time, and sometimes ammonia , which is odorless to us, can cause losses in captive pets. Again, Im sorry for your loss, and hwish you the best in figuring out any possible adjustments that might help the other toads... some things show up after tkme, from accumulation, etc... do you change the substrate or clean the tank, in case either of the above are increasing accidently ? (Pathogens or ammonia) - only trying to help with the mystery - hope its not taken the wrong way... good luck with them...its wonderful that youre helping little ones get released into the wild. : )

[kueluck]

Sorry didn't clarify on that, it's a 25 watt red bulb that is used to keep temps from going under 65. We've had a really cold winter here in NC and I keep it handy for them. I swap out the all substrate twice a year, plus I "fluff" it several times also. It's seeded with spring tails and pill bugs. It's layered with hydroton, charcoal and eco earth mixed with an organic potting soil. Come spring I'm going to redo the tank with a drilled bottom, I'm switching all vivs over to this. All other toads are doing great.

[crazy]

I usually keep my substrate around 4 inches deep, with plenty of hiding places. I also used a heat lamp this winter; but mine had a 60 watt blue bulb in it and the temp in the aquarium never went above 70 degrees and fell only to around 65 a night. I never kept the heat lamp on all the time only when I was up and at home I had it on. They never hibernated (except for my spadefoot), but they did burrow a bit during the day or half burrowed at the top of the substrate and one likes to hide under the hollowed log in the aquarium. Now that it is getting warmer the aquarium is sitting at 80 and 73 at night, and I mist the aquarium every couple of nights for the plants and the spadefoot I have. Then again all of my toads are native to NC.

[kueluck]

Thanks for the input. It seems my male doen'st burrow as much as the girls do. Runway has been down for months and once it warms up enough I'm gonna release her into the wild. Now Morph is out most of the time now, but the other 2 girls stay undercover. I'm sure they come out at night since roaches are missing from the bowl on feeding nights.

I usually keep my substrate around 4 inches deep, with plenty of hiding places. I also used a heat lamp this winter; but mine had a 60 watt blue bulb in it and the temp in the aquarium never went above 70 degrees and fell only to around 65 a night. I never kept the heat lamp on all the time only when I was up and at home I had it on. They never hibernated (except for my spadefoot), but they did burrow a bit during the day or half burrowed at the top of the substrate and one likes to hide under the hollowed log in the aquarium. Now that it is getting warmer the aquarium is sitting at 80 and 73 at night, and I mist the aquarium every couple of nights for the plants and the spadefoot I have. Then again all of my toads are native to NC.

[crazy]

Thanks for the input. It seems my male doen'st burrow as much as the girls do. Runway has been down for months and once it warms up enough I'm gonna release her into the wild. Now Morph is out most of the time now, but the other 2 girls stay undercover. I'm sure they come out at night since roaches are missing from the bowl on feeding nights.

Np. Yeah it seems that captive toads tend to be weird on when they want to burrow and hibernate. Yours probably do come out at night and eat the roaches, I know that my spadefoot toad comes out on some nights and other times I don't see it for weeks on end. For my other toads its the opposite for me, my male toads want to burrow deeper into the subtrate and the females just half burrow at the top.

[DIDITHEDAD]

You should not have morw than 5 inch. Of dirt. Only 2-3 depending on size of taod.