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Thread: Overwintering american toad.

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    Default Overwintering american toad.

    We have an american toad we added to the family this June as a toadlet. We named him Ted. He quadrupled in size over the summer eating fruit flies and crickets and wild caught bugs. A few weeks ago he began staying in his burrow for longer stretches. We disturbed him and he may or may not have eaten and then reburrowed. We purchased an under the tank warmer, but it changed nothing. Our room is probably 60-65 degrees F, and he is not in direct sunlight.

    Our questions are related to how we overwinter Ted. Are we trying to support his seasonal inactivity (should we keep it dark and cool him further)? If we are supposed to do this, how do we do this (moisture, feeding, appropriate temps, etc)? Or should we perk him up with warmth and light? If we should do this, how do we do it?

    Thank you so much! Ted is beloved and we hope we can properly care for him!

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    100+ Post Member elly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    I don't recommend trying to hibernate the toad. It's not necessary and it can be dangerous. If yo could have a basking spot from a heat emitter or heat lamp that might help. 60-65 isn't bad, but a corner that's a bit warmer (say 70-75 in the day) might help.

    Undertank heaters might help a little but the substrate tends to block the heat.

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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    Quote Originally Posted by elly View Post
    I don't recommend trying to hibernate the toad. It's not necessary and it can be dangerous. If yo could have a basking spot from a heat emitter or heat lamp that might help. 60-65 isn't bad, but a corner that's a bit warmer (say 70-75 in the day) might help.

    Undertank heaters might help a little but the substrate tends to block the heat.
    Thanks, elly!

    We dug him out last night and put him in a smaller container, with a bunch of fruit flies and a dish of water- all in a warmer spot until we can get his tank in a more appropriate state for him. We don't know if he is eating, but he is becoming more active. We are trying to find a method to warm his tank, carefully, before we put him back in it. So far, even with the undertank warmer, our thermometer reads only 68 degrees F (so you are correct the substrate is holding most the heat). So we've got to find a way to warm the tank air a bit more. About the basking light, can't toads get fried really easily? Someone told me that they are designed to stay out of the sun (why they don't have as great a need for UVA light) and are too sensitive for heat lights...is this in error? Otherwise, is our best hope to just put his tank in a warmer location?

    Thanks for your reply!

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    100+ Post Member elly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    overheating might be a problem, you'd just need to experiment. I don't think a light lamp would hurt a toad, especially if there's a dark hiding place like a coconut shell. If you want something you can use at night if necessary I'd look for a low-wattage ceramic heat emitter.

    If you can't tell the wattage I'd look for a small heat emitter or lightbulb that's marked "tropical" not "desert." Then you can try it out for a few hours, see how much it heats the spot directly underneath it and the spot furthest away from it. I have an adjustable stand for my light that's a bit of a pain to use, but I can get the light closer or farther away and that affects the tank temperature.

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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    You could put the heating pad on the side of the tank, above the substrate, to provide a warmer area that he could choose to use or not. Whatever you do with the heat lamp just make sure there is a cooler spot in the tank he can go to as well.
    In these past few winter months my tank has been around 65-68F and my toads have remained active though.

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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    I have 2 toads, same species, one hibernates the other doesn't. One borrows down in mid-November and doesn't come back up for food until late January-early February. It's weird and at first I thought it was dead but after 2 straight winters of doing it I'm chalking it up to that's what it prefers. If one wants to stay awake and one wants to sleep it's fine. I wouldn't try to make it sleep or keep it awake. My toad that stays awake is a lot more sluggish and only eats every 4-5 days as opposed to every other day in the warmer part of the year.

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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    Quote Originally Posted by red green hawk View Post
    I have 2 toads, same species, one hibernates the other doesn't. One borrows down in mid-November and doesn't come back up for food until late January-early February. It's weird and at first I thought it was dead but after 2 straight winters of doing it I'm chalking it up to that's what it prefers. If one wants to stay awake and one wants to sleep it's fine. I wouldn't try to make it sleep or keep it awake. My toad that stays awake is a lot more sluggish and only eats every 4-5 days as opposed to every other day in the warmer part of the year.
    Sometimes the toads will burrow buy are not hibernating in your tank. Unless you have them in something like a refrigerator or have them outside they are just going dormant. This is either because it's too cold, the internal cycle of the toad or it has worms and is trying to go in active to kill some off.

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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Wardog View Post
    Sometimes the toads will burrow buy are not hibernating in your tank. Unless you have them in something like a refrigerator or have them outside they are just going dormant. This is either because it's too cold, the internal cycle of the toad or it has worms and is trying to go in active to kill some off.

    Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk
    the last part about toads going inactive to kill off worms is interesting, I’ve never heard of that before. Do you have any more information about that? I’d like to learn more.

  10. #9

    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    I'm bumping this old thread as this is a subject I'm interested in as well

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    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    Quote Originally Posted by elymanator View Post
    the last part about toads going inactive to kill off worms is interesting, I’ve never heard of that before. Do you have any more information about that? I’d like to learn more.
    Yes an exotic vet told me this as to why my toads were going inactive as a possible reason why they would burrow in the spring and summer for weeks to months then resurface before the fall season would start. Another close friend said this too but I had not asked them where they got this information but the two sources are trusted and the vet this year just got voted by the town as simply the best vet in my city.

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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    American Toads favoured active temps are 70-75, above 80f is dangerous for them, so heating lamps actually are not recommended. A heater that will warm up through the substrate is just what you want for Ted!

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    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    Quote Originally Posted by LydiasMom View Post
    American Toads favoured active temps are 70-75, above 80f is dangerous for them, so heating lamps actually are not recommended. A heater that will warm up through the substrate is just what you want for Ted!
    I have seen toads do well in 60-80 temperatures. They are able to adapt well. I try to keep mine cooler side because of the climate I'm mimicking. A small uth isn't horrible actually I'm going to use one to warm the temperature a little bit because the climate I caught some from is about 2-5 degrees warmer. An UTH doesn't raise the temp enough to harm the toad. Southern Toads especially do well in 80's. Toads do many things to escape heat. They dig and make nests, go into water or into a hide. I haven't seen toads become I'll unless it's hitting mid to upper 80's but if the temperature gets higher the I'd say 83 then yes it's risky for a long period of time.

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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Wardog View Post
    I have seen toads do well in 60-80 temperatures. They are able to adapt well. I try to keep mine cooler side because of the climate I'm mimicking. A small uth isn't horrible actually I'm going to use one to warm the temperature a little bit because the climate I caught some from is about 2-5 degrees warmer. An UTH doesn't raise the temp enough to harm the toad. Southern Toads especially do well in 80's. Toads do many things to escape heat. They dig and make nests, go into water or into a hide. I haven't seen toads become I'll unless it's hitting mid to upper 80's but if the temperature gets higher the I'd say 83 then yes it's risky for a long period of time.

    Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk
    Thus why I said favoured

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    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: Overwintering american toad.

    I believe the toads preference is the upper 60's not 70's and it can depend on the climate. If someone catches one in the south it would be used to warm temps like 80's so your claim is general.
    Quote Originally Posted by LydiasMom View Post
    Thus why I said favoured
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