RAUK - Archived Forum - Strange toad eating habit?

Hi all,

I'd just like to ask the forum if anyone here has ever witnessed a strange thing that I've seen common toads do.

Twenty five years ago, I kept a female common toad (bufo bufo) as a pet. I had her for about eight years, during which time I studied just about every aspect of her behavour. There was one thing she did, however, that I never did find an explanation for. While stalking prey (woodlice, flies, earthworms, etc) she would often tap one of the middle toes on her hind legs. Sometimes she would wiggle or tap both. She didn't do it every time, but she did it often enough for me to think that there must be a very good reason for it.

In the years since, I have done some British amphibian conservation work and sometimes I rehabilitate injured toads. I have seen several toads do this toe tapping while stalking prey, but I have never found a satisfactory explanation in a book.

I did find one reference to it on the internet. This guy in the USA say that all but one species of his captive toads do it:

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/anforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=98663

But nobody could give him an answer. Does anybody here know?

Teresa in Hampshire

Teresa.  Our dear ol' common toad's, ay?...they're brilliant characters to study,..loadsa fun!, & thankfully, loads of 'em in my garden too! Anyway, as for your quandary, in my amateur experiences of toads, the only explanation i can come up with is more of a twitching one, rather than a tapping, or pattering one. Loads of times when i've seen toads suddenly spot their live, moving (but doomed!) prey i've seen their toes twitching. I suppose it's akin to a stalking, contented cat wiggling its tail just as its about to pounce on its victim. It's basically nervous excitement prior to a kill attempt. I hope this might help, it's the best i can offer. Well done for being nursey to poorly & injured toads by the way,..excellent stuff! You care, & that's my kinda person. All the best.

Mick.

Well... I've never seen a common toad get emotional, so I'm a bit unsure that 'excitement' is the best word for it. But having said that, I've seen toads in what can only be described as a highly excited state during mating season. An 'excited' male toad will mount anything: torch, fingers, other males, when he's got the urge. But you're right, the toe thing is probably more of a twitch than a deliberate tapping. Regardless of whether it's a tapping or a twitch, it's still a fascinating behaviour. I'd love to know more about it. There's something truly captivating about the way that a toad snaps out of its 'thousand yard stare' and stalks its prey. I could watch it a thousand times and never get bored.

Thanks for the support, BTW. Frogs and newts present a challenge, but it's not so difficult to nurse toads. It's doctoring them that's the tough part. I've had to carry out one or two unpleasant amputations, and treat some horrendous wounds in my time, but the toad makes an excellent patient. It's amazing what this robust little amphibian can recover from, given half a chance.

Teresa

I'd go along with nervous excitement. If you've ever kept lizards, you'll see them do a similar sort of thing when anything out of the familiar is placed in their cage. This could be another lizard, baby snake or even a small toad.... i didn't see the toad do it though, which would seem to suggest that Bufo does it when stalking prey as you've said already. R