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Care Sheet: American Green Toad (Bufo debilis)

Common Name: American Green Toad, Western Green Toad, and Western Desert Toad.

Scientific Name: Bufo debilis.

Distribution: The south-west of North America.

Size: 5-7cm.

Sexing: The males of this species can be heard calling during breeding season and at this time nuptial pads appear on the first digits of the hands. Females have a more rounded body shape and are usually larger than males.

Colouration: Mottled yellowish-green with black markings.

Requirements: These toads require a fairly large terrarium. A 15-gallon tank would be adequate for 3-4 adults. They require a woodland type set-up with a substrate of bark chips, moist sandy topsoil, and moss. Furnishings such as logs, cork bark, rock and sturdy leafed plants can be arranged to provide a number of climbing and hiding places. A shallow water bowl (no deeper than the toad's height at rest) must be provided with clean de-chlorinated or spring water. The water will need to be changed daily to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria in the water whilst changing the water it is a good idea to visually inspect the tank and remove, clean and replace any soiled items. If kept in a warm room the tank will not require any additional heating. A separate light source should be provided by the means of a fluorescent UVB tube. Once every two-three weeks the tank and its contents should be completely cleaned and sterilised using an amphibian / reptile friendly disinfectant.

Feeding: Juvenile Toads should be fed daily with a mixture of suitably sized insects including small crickets and mini-mealworms. The food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement two-three times a week. Adult Toads should be fed every two-three days with a mixture of crickets, regular mealworms, earthworms, flour beetles, waxworms, moths, and caterpillars. The food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement once a week.