Toad Vivaria

Thought I would write up a little article on how I keep US Native toads seeing how they differ greatly from darts, reed frogs, and tree frogs.

I build a viv the same basic ways as any other with a few exceptions.

Basic viv substrate layout:

Top layer: Leaf Litter
Middle layer: Soil type substrate- I do a mix of coco fiber and peat moss with some long stem dried moss crushed in with it.
Barrier layer: Sheet moss or fiberglass screen could be used. I use sheet moss to hold a humidity layer below the soil layer.
Drainage layer: Pea gravel

I do not use any layer of sheet moss or damp moss in the toads upper layers. I do a generous amount of leaf litter and a few pieces of cork and other bark as climbing structures. I do the leaf litter and bark for them to self-regulate their moisture level. When they are getting dry they burrow down under the leaf litter, when they need to dry up some they get on top of the leaf litter and perch on the bark pieces. One piece of the cork is from a tube and creates a tunnel area for them to retreat to if they need it.

I have a pothos ivy growing in the viv with them although it is purely for looks as they do not use it at all. It does help with air quality and shade but little else as far as they are concerned.

Instead of a daily or every other day misting they get a mist once or so per week, at this time I water the plant as well.

I feed them small crickets and wingless fruit flies which are dusted every other feeding or so with vitamins or calcium.

I have a screw in compact florescent bulb for lighting, it also keeps the temps up a few degrees from room temp during the day light hours.

All in all they are fairly low maintenance, even more so at this young age, and are very interesting to watch hunt and do their day to day activities.