Do Toads Need a Heat Lamp?

A heat lamp is a light that heats up the surrounding air. It is used for various reasons in a wide variety of places. In vivariums and hatcheries, it helps regulate body thermals or metabolism for young animals. It is also useful in commercial settings such as cafes and restaurants for heating up hot food.

Toads Need Water and Land

Toads need water and land, so make sure you provide both! They will not live in a tank with no access to water. Ensure that half of your toad’s enclosure is filled with shallow water they can drink from and spend time in. The other half should be dry land, such as eco earth or coconut fiber, that they can burrow in.

They also need toad worms, which can be purchased at most pet and home stores. Toad worms are very nutritious and beneficial for your toad’s health and well-being. They’re also very easy to prepare and don’t require much maintenance.

Temperature and Moisture Control

Toads are nocturnal animals, so you will want to maintain a stable temperature in your tank. American toads, for example, do best at a very narrow range of temperatures, generally between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keepers who don’t keep their tanks at these temperature levels may find that their toads become ill and die within hours.

You can help your toads maintain their natural temperature by using a reptile heat mat under one end of the tank. This creates a small temperature gradient that allows the toads to warm or cool down to their desired temperature as needed. You can adjust the thermostat on the mat as required, but remember that heat pads are not suitable for every toad species.

Brumation is an important time for captive toads, so it’s a good idea to provide a stable, cool environment that includes water and land. During brumation, toads will enter a semi-hibernation state that causes a decrease in their metabolism and requires less energy. During a brumation period, your toads can become dehydrated, so make sure that the terrarium is always full of fresh water.

The humidity level in your toad’s habitat should be around 50-80%, as measured by a digital probe hygrometer. If this is not achieved, you can raise the moisture level by misting your toad’s terrarium daily with a sprayer.

They can also be placed in a shallow pool of dechlorinated water, such as Flukers Corner Reptile Bowl, which they can soak in or play in, and this should provide enough moisture for them. If the humidity is too low, you can add a dish of damp moss to your toad’s habitat to help boost their moisture levels.

During breeding season, male toads will go to temporary pools of water in search of female toads to breed with. They will call to potential mates with a specialized pouch called a dewlap, which sounds somewhat like crickets. This calls can be a little irritating, so some keepers prefer to place their males in an area where they don’t call.