# Frogs & Toads > Toads >  Do pet American Toads hibernate?

## SplatGoesTheBlobfish

I have a female American Toad that I got about 5 months ago.  She's been doing great since I got her.  She eats well, she has her own little toad routine, and she's very tame.  Typically, she sits under her half log or in a shallow burrow all day, then comes out at night to eat and sometimes soak in her water dish.  However, about a week ago, she started acting a little odd.  She very deeply buried herself in her tank, and didn't come out for 2 days.  On the third day, she came out in the evening, ate, and then reburied herself very deeply again.  Now she hasn't come out for 4 days.  I tried throwing a couple crickets in the tank, but they haven't been touched.  I'm wondering if she's trying to do some type of hibernation thing.  She's in the house, so the temperature is pretty consistent (68-70 degrees F).  However, I have her tank light set up on a computerized timer that automatically goes on at local sunrise time and goes off at sunset, so I'm sure she's noticed the days getting shorter.  I also have an automatic mister that runs for 15 minutes 4 times a day, which keeps the soil (Eco-Earth) slightly damp and the tank humidity up.  So I guess I'm wondering, do pet American Toads hibernate (or sort of hibernate)?  It's my understanding that in the wild, they do in response to temperature.  But could light cycles have anything to do with it?  Also, should I just let her be?  My instinct says yes, and that she'll come out if she needs to.  As I said, the soil stays slightly damp, so I'm not super concerned about her getting too dry.  And she was quite plump when this started, so I'm assuming she can go for a bit without eating and be okay.  (I would expect her to be ravenous when she comes out again.)  Is there anything special I need to do or watch for?  Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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## Xavier

Since this species does hibernate in the wild, it can be safe to say it is getting ready to hibernate. Quick question, is the toad WC? (Wild Caught) If so, it's probably done this at least once, so it's preparing to do it again. Now there are two things you can do, one is to try warming up his enclosure, and adding more light so its body clock shifts away from hibernation, or you can try letting it hibernate. I strongly recommend you to try the first option first, unless you're trying to breed it. It's very difficult for a first time owner to try to hibernate an animal, but if you decide to let it hibernate, stop feeding it and make sure it's pooping regularly, because if it goes into hibernation whilst food is still in its stomach, the food may rot, killing it. An article can be found here if you do decide to go down this path: http://www.lllreptile.com/articles/1...ian-brumation/

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## AAron

I do not have any sources but I have kept wild toads for over 2 years now with years of keeping them just over the warm months. I believe no matter what you do, I've tried many things to get my toads active, just let them rest. I believe they go into a state of dormancy for an extended period of time. My male toad went from February to May and he dug himself out and was ready for the warm season. Now the other new toads are doing the same thing. If you keep the dirt moist like you are, get crickets every so often, not many, but just In case, the toad will be fine. 


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Cliygh and Mia 2

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