bumblebee walking toad care - Noah's Ark Pets
Common Name: Bumble Bee Walking Toad
Scientific Name: Melanophryniscus stelzneri
Adult Size: Males are aprox. 25mm and large females can reach 40mm in some cases.
These toads are an easy to care for species from Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Hills and plains there are not tropical. They like to live by, though not in, running water. Always wash your hands before and after handling your pet frog.
Captive Enclosure:
When housing them, a good rule of thumb is to allow a minimum of 2.5 gal. of tank space for each toad with no tank smaller than a five gal. and no more than 10 toads per tank no matter the size. Use gravel, ground coconut husk or reptile bark for a substrate. Live or artificial plants are recommended as they improve the terrariums looks, and the toads seem to enjoy climbing up the plants. However they are not very skilled climbers and often fall out of them. Keep in mind that they are from a savanna-type area where they have grasses and small shrubs. Use a screened lid for proper ventilation.
Temperature:
These toads are rather tolerant of the temperature range. The ideal range seems to be between 75 and 80 degrees. Use an under tank heat pad for 24 hour heat. Always use a thermometer to ensure proper temperature range is maintained.
Water:
A bowl of clean, de-chlorinated water should always be available. Frogs do not drink water, they absorb it through their skin, therefore a water dish should be provided that is large enough for the animal to easily get in and out of. Maintain the humidity at 60-80% most of the time as they are less active and hide when it becomes much higher or lower.
Food:
These toads tend to be very hardy eaters. Feeding is no problem as long as plenty of small food items are maintained. Keep in mind that they eat a lot of food for their size. Pinhead crickets, fruit flies, termites, small harmless ant species, small silkworms, wax worms, and almost any other harmless insects of similar size are all acceptable food items.
NOTE: This care sheet is a general guide, to learn more about your pet consult a book about it.
