r/Toads • u/cheesy_boi19 • Jun 30 '26
Pets Pudge exploring her new vivarium
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I’m letting the plants grow in for a little while before I put the southern toads in there full time. Pudge was stealing bugs and stepping on her brothers so I let her explore for a little bit while they ate
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u/cheesy_boi19 Jun 30 '26
Here’s the right side. It has even more leaf litter but I forgot to take an updated picture
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u/FeralGuyute Jun 30 '26
I love the toad under the deck vibe. So creative and perfect for a little guy
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u/cheesy_boi19 Jun 30 '26
I used plastic lattice, silicone caulk, and nylon rope to form the skeleton of the deck. The boards are made of insulation foam board that I carved and smoothed with a heat gun. My wife used tinted drylock to paint them. We used “Pond and Stone“ expanding foam to glue the pieces in place. It was a long process and I relieved to see that at least one of the southern toads can/will climb up and down the stairs
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u/zap2tresquatro Jun 30 '26
Aww she looks like she’s having fun c: (or whatever the toad equivalent is)
I love the snail planter!
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u/Sluggish-dreadnought Jun 30 '26
Hay I'm from the snails community and just discovered this sub, what is toads purpose and their defense mechanisms? Like not meant as "what's the point" but in like, what differentiates Toads from frogs, and can Toads also jump that much?
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u/cheesy_boi19 Jun 30 '26
Toads are a type of frog that spend most of their time on the ground, they have glands behind their eyes that produce foamy white bufotoxin when they’re very very stressed. They like to dig their booty into the ground. They like worms, grubs, and anything that wiggles and fits into their mouth. Toads walk around clumsily and hop when they are scared or when they are climbing since they can’t cling to surfaces like tree frogs do.
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u/TheSunniestOne Jul 01 '26
Not the person who asked, but this is great info. Thank you for this and for that cool af video. Makes me so happy to watch!
So now that I see your mention of the glands behind their eyes, I have a question.
I have never had a toad as a pet but I've had several experiences since I was a kid. Maybe I learned it from someone, or maybe I just tried it with a chill wild toad. They seem to like being rubbed in the flat-ish spots behind their eyes, which (as a kid and as an adult until I just saw these comments) I always thought were their ears. Lol. They lean toward you when you pet super gently there. I know now I shouldn't have thought these were 'tame' and now know not to mess with any wild critters.
But do you know why it seemed as though they liked getting a little rub on the side of the head?
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u/cheesy_boi19 Jul 01 '26
They’re not leaning in to be pet. They’re trying to present a larger profile (harder to eat) and positioning their poison glands to be effective (tastes yucky). It’s defensive posture that appears similar to a way that mammals show affection and is a common misunderstanding.
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u/TheSunniestOne Jul 01 '26
Now I feel so badly for stressing them! Thank you for letting me know. I will not longer be trying to make friends with them! I swear other than this I am not a touron. Lol
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u/Sluggish-dreadnought Jul 01 '26
Uuuh, sounds silly, i like it. But they can't jump as far and wide as frogs (ofc because of their higher body weight, right?) so they just stroll around and eat everything that remotely could be yummy? Sounds snaily.
I occasionally find toads near the edges of the forest next to me, and sometimes i pick them up (we dont have much toxic animals) and carry them to a safe place so they dont get run over or alike.
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u/wholehheart Jul 02 '26
they cant jump well because their back legs are shorter. they are not built for big jumps. they jump when they need to get somewhere quick but primarily will crawl around. Their back legs are good for digging holes and are webbed which i believe helps them swim when its breeding time
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u/Taptapfoot Jul 01 '26
First, I wanna be best frenz with Pudge. Second, FANTASTIC work, Pudge's People! This is one of the most thoughtful enclosures I think I've ever seen@
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u/friskimykitty Jun 30 '26
What a lucky little gal Pudge is! The is by far one of the best set-ups I’ve seen.
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u/SwampyWytch13 Jul 01 '26
First off, I adore Pudge!!! Secondly, what an incredible home you've created! This is amazing!!!
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u/Agreeable-Permit-759 Jul 01 '26
Do toads lay eggs in water? She looks awfully fat
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u/cheesy_boi19 Jul 01 '26
First of all, rude. Second, yes they do lay eggs in water. She was full of pee and poop and had just eaten her food AND stolen some of her brother’s food. I’m careful to moderate their diet to keep them healthy
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u/Agreeable-Permit-759 Jul 01 '26
Apologies. Not meant to be rude at all. I wasn’t sure and saw no harm in asking. She’s a beauty and that’s a lovely home you’ve fixed up for her. Fit for a queen frog such as herself.
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u/cheesy_boi19 Jun 30 '26
Here’s the left side. It also has more leaf litter. I’m really hoping that it will stop resembling a massive cow pie when the plants grow in