All species
amphibianbeginner
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
The backyard classic turned hardy pet — warty, dog-tame, and endlessly entertaining as it bulldozes substrate hunting crickets.
2–4.5 in15–20+ years
Habitat
Enclosure
20 gal long minimum · pair
Temperature
68–75°F
Humidity / Water
50–70% · damp substrate, dry areas too
Heating & lighting
Wide terrestrial tank with deep loose coconut substrate for digging, 68-75°F — room temperature usually works. Shallow water dish, half-log hides, leaf litter.
Diet
Feed these
- Crickets
- Nightcrawlers
- Mealworms — sparingly
- Dubia roaches
Never feed
- Handling without hand-washing — parotid toxin
- Fire-bellied species — toxin clash
- Fertilized substrate — they dig and absorb
Feed 2-3x weekly; they eat like a wood chipper. One of the most charming amphibians you can own — and one of the easiest, they just need room to dig and walk.
Cohabitation
Can live with
Other American toads — groups
Never house with
Fire-bellied toads Tropical frogs Small frogs and lizards — eaten
A pair of American toads is charming — they trundle around, eat from tongs, and sleep in their water dish.
