For years, many people mistakenly believed that touching a toad would cause you to grow warts! We know that’s not true, but toads have never received the same love that frogs get. Have you ever heard of a princess kissing a toad? Didn’t think so. Still, their popularity is growing, and people are starting to keep these carnivorous amphibians as pets.
If you’re planning to get a baby toad, you’ll need to figure out how and what to feed them. There are some differences in a baby toad’s diet if they’re kept as pets versus in the wild. But there are also some notable similarities. Starting with tadpoles, we’re going to discuss the main foods that toads will eat in the wild and as pets, so you can be sure to feed your toad the proper diet.
What Do Tadpoles Eat?
Toads hatch from eggs, but most of them don’t come out with legs. Rather, they’re almost always born as tadpoles. They don’t even have air-breathing lungs at birth, so they’re stuck in the water until they mature.
When tadpoles are first born, they will absorb the remaining yolk in their egg. After that, they will rely mostly on plant matter to sustain themselves. This means eating algae and little floating plant particles. However, if there’s not enough plant matter for the tadpole, they might turn to cannibalism. While this is uncommon, it’s far from unheard of.
What Do Baby Toads Eat in the Wild?
In the wild, a toad is going to eat a diverse array of food. They have varied diets and are open to eating pretty much anything that comes along that will fit in their mouth. Remember, toads are carnivorous, so they strictly eat living creatures. For baby toads, those creatures are very small.
Any type of crawling insect or bug is a great meal for a toad in the wild. They’ll munch on small crickets and grasshoppers, which will increase in size as the toad does. Even baby mice are fair game for a toad, though they tend to eat these more once they reach maturity.
Worms of all kinds are delicacies. Mealworms and earthworms are common cuisines for these four-legged amphibians. As the toad gets larger, bigger meals also become available. Snails, slugs, and locusts will all be eaten if they stray too near to a large enough toad. Centipedes and flies aren’t safe either.
What Do Baby Toad Pets Eat?
Please note that many states and jurisdictions may have legislation that prevents capturing or owning tadpoles, frogs, or toads. Always make sure you have permission to legally own an exotic pet before deciding to adopt one. If you are in the US, please refer to state laws before deciding to adopt an exotic or wild pet. Elsewhere, please refer to the relevant laws where you reside.
Capturing wild animals is not advised, as this disrupts local ecosystems. In addition, amphibians may naturally harbor Salmonella and spread it to humans and other pets. Frogs or toads are not recommended to be kept alongside children, the elderly, pregnant individuals, or those with a compromised immune system. Hygiene is of utmost importance when dealing with amphibians.
Some species of frogs have naturally occurring poisons or toxins which they can release by different mechanisms, depending on the species. All toads are toxic to a certain degree, and they are especially dangerous for pet dogs. Therefore, caution and thorough research prior to adopting a pet is very important.
For toads kept as pets, nutrition looks pretty similar to that of wild toads. However, there are some foods that pet toads are unlikely to eat. For example, centipedes and locusts might be common meals for a wild toad, but you’ll have a hard time purchasing feeder centipedes from the local pet store!
You never want to feed a pet toad something that you caught in the wild. Though these insects are on their meal list, wild-caught specimens are liable to have bacteria, diseases, and more that can negatively affect your toad’s health. Even if it’s a food your toad eats all the time, such as crickets, you’ll want to stick to store-bought crickets and never feed your pet toad crickets that you caught.
You might notice that some of the insects on this list are different from what wild toads eat. A lot of that comes down to what’s available. Since you have to get sterile insects that haven’t been out in the world, only insects that are grown as feeders are appropriate.
How to Feed Your Pet Toad
You have to be aware that juvenile toads eat their food whole. If you provide prey that’s too large, they’re likely to struggle. Ensure that the insects you choose are no larger than the width of your toad’s head.
Gut Loading
Also, make sure to gut load the insects you’re going to provide for your toad. Gut loading is the process of loading the insects up with nutrients by allowing them to feed well before giving them to your toad. This ensures that your toad is getting as diverse of a nutrient intake as possible.
Buy from Reputable Sources
Though you want to make sure to purchase all of your feeder insects from reputable sources, you will have plenty of choices to pick from. And you should feed as many of these to your toad as possible. It’s a good idea to feed them different foods each day. For instance, you might feed your toad earthworms on Monday, crickets on Tuesday, Aphids on Wednesday, and so on.
Establish a Routine
Another good habit is feeding your toad at the same time every evening. Keep in mind that toads are nocturnal, so feeding shouldn’t be done during the day. Pet toads do best on a feeding schedule since they recognize routine. Your toad will be healthiest if you feed it at the same time each night; around 9 o’clock.
One more good rule of thumb is to only feed your toad for 15 minutes. Put the insects into your toad’s cage and let it go to town. But after 15 minutes, remove anything that hasn’t been eaten. This prevents overfeeding and ensures that dead insects don’t rot in your toad’s environment.
Don’t Forget Water
Ensure that your toad has access to a shallow body of water in which they can comfortably sit with their head above the surface. Toads don’t drink water like us or most pets – instead, they rely on absorbing water through their skin. Because they can readily absorb liquids, any water you provide them should be dechlorinated for their safety.
- Related Read:Â What Do Tadpoles Eat in the Wild and as Pets?
Things to Never Feed a Toad
While toads certainly need a diverse and varied diet, there are plenty of things that you should never feed a toad; wild or domestic. These foods can cause serious problems for any toad. Take salt or seasoning as an example. They can cause a toad to dry up and dehydrate, which could spell death.
You’ll also see that feeding meat to your toad is a terrible idea, even though toads are carnivorous. These animals only eat live meals though. They aren’t scavengers. You should take care to only feed your toad living insects, though you can also feed rodents when they’re large enough.
Make sure to never feed your toad any leftover human food. While this might be OK for dogs, it’s a terrible choice for toads and can lead to disastrous consequences. Here are some foods that are dangerous for toads.
Summary
Like frogs, toads have a pretty diverse palate. In the wild, they’ll eat pretty much anything of an edible size that comes along. Worms, bugs, centipedes, slugs, and more are all tempting choices for a wild toad. But toads that are kept as pets need more structure and safer feeding. They haven’t been exposed to all the same bacteria and could get sick from eating wild-caught insects. As such, baby pet toads should only be fed feeder insects from reputable pet stores to ensure continuing health and longevity.
- Related Read: 10 Best Pet Reptiles for Beginners (With Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: ARTFULLY PHOTOGRAPHER, Shutterstock
