How much to feed American toad?

[Larry Wardog]

Hi! This is a good question. Redworms(also called compost worms or red wigglers) are smaller than nightcrawlers and seem like a good option, but they have a foul taste that (most) amphibians dislike. Many frogs will not eat ANY earthworms after trying to eat red wigglers. The nightcrawlers are great food for frogs(if a bit hard to eat sometimes). Some stores also carry mini nightcrawlers. If a worm is too big, you can cut it in half and feed half to the toad at a time. The one major thing is to get natural earthworms. Bait shops sometimes dye them, which you don't want your frog eating.

This is very interesting because I talk about this in the video above and my toad eats a red wriggler on the video. From keeping leopard frogs and toads I know it's depending on the personality of the toad and frog. Some of mine would take them like a regular work and some would not. My toads now take them no problem. I had a leopard frog not take them but take nightcrawlers somehow the frogs and toads know the difference among them. The smell I'm guessing. But it's not exactly a terrible food if their toad will take it. You can see in my video the toad runs to the work and doesn't lose interest in it after it eats it. I agree you have to watch where you get them that's why Walmart isn't a bad choice.

Here is the video I think I talk about two or three minutes in
https://youtu.be/IdxfbLiIB4U

Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk

[daybr4ke]

That's very true! My woodhouse toads like them better than nightcrawlers, but none of my other frogs like them.

Also, those are some cute pictures. They didnt load on my phone the other day, so I missed them.

[ToadMama4]

Thank you AAron and Bryce! Our semi-local walmart had nightcrawlers. The bait store here in our tiny town has nightcrawlers and redworms. I waited to see what walmart had before I bought anything. This afternoon I got Ted the nightcrawlers. I will cut them in half.

My husband also corrected me that what Ted has been eating are actually wax worms, not meal worms, and those were purchased out of necessity as crickets are not available locally when the temps drop too low (and they ones I've ordered online have also died). I always gut load them on veggie scraps prior to feeding. I am very glad to learn of the earthworm option. We will continue to try to make crickets Ted's dietary stable.

How often should I give him a whole nightcrawler?

Thanks again!!!

[daybr4ke]

No problem! Nightcrawlers are actually healthy enough to use as a staple. Wax worms are very high in fat, but make an okay treat. Also, just a though: based on your pictures your toad may be a Woodhouse's toad like mine. The stripe down the back made me think about it. The partoid glands(the long bumps behind the eyes) in Woodhouse's toads point slightly inward. Ill find pictures/diagrams later and link them in another post. If you live somewhere in it's range(a large chunk of the Middle of the US extending to Las Vegas. It also has a subspecies that extends into lower California called the Rocky Mountain Toad.

[ToadMama4]

Fascinating about possibly being a wooodhouse toad! I will look into it. Yes, we live within that range.

Even as a staple food, we are unsure how much nightcrawler Ted ought to be getting. Ted would never be satisfied, is perpetually hungry, so I fear overfeeding. Ted's rate of growth rapidly increased with the wax worms...so I knew there was a problem.

Do you concur with AAron that Ted is a female, even if a woodhouse toad. My husband thinks its "grunted" a couple times, but has never squeeked or peeped.

Thanks again!

[ToadMama4]

Fascinating about possibly being a wooodhouse toad! I will look into it. Yes, we live within that range.

Even as a staple food, we are unsure how much nightcrawler Ted ought to be getting. Ted would never be satisfied, is perpetually hungry, so I fear overfeeding. Ted's rate of growth rapidly increased with the wax worms...so I knew there was a problem.

Do you concur with AAron that Ted is a female, even if a woodhouse toad. My husband thinks its "grunted" a couple times, but has never squeeked or peeped.

Thanks again!

Some more photos of Ted.

[ToadMama4]

Strike that...upon careful viewing of the Woodhouse's toad's range, I think that we are just easterly of its range.