# Frogs & Toads > Toads >  What is a healthy weight range for an American Toad?

## nicodimus22

This is my American Toad, Gwen. She is 21 months old. She is currently 2 1/4 inches long, and weighs 43 grams. 

I have been searching for information on how much an adult toad might weigh, but all I seem to find is length and age numbers. Does anyone know what a healthy weight range is?

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## Brian

For a comparison, I just found this interesting page yesterday where they surveyed populations in Rhode Island Untitled Document

It has weight vs length plotted for the American Toads they found broken up by sex for adults, juveniles, and metamorphs. There's a huge variance for weight in females of about the same length. Yours seems to be average weight but a little short compared to the adult females they found.

They have data on other amphibians as well.

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yoshimi

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## nicodimus22

That is helpful, thank you.

According to this, the average female was 2.8 inches and weighed 43 grams, so the weight is right on for mine. I don't think she is done growing, though. She is noticeably bigger now than even 2 months ago.

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## Gail

Do you mean bigger as in weight or length?  Since spring's around the corner she may have eggs.


> That is helpful, thank you.
> 
> According to this, the average female was 2.8 inches and weighed 43 grams, so the weight is right on for mine. I don't think she is done growing, though. She is noticeably bigger now than even 2 months ago.

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## nicodimus22

> Do you mean bigger as in weight or length?  Since spring's around the corner she may have eggs.


Both. 

She lives alone, so she can't have eggs, right?

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## Gail

She can still produce them, they just won't be fertile unless you bring a male into the picture.  I suggest you do some research on egg laden frog/toad.

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## Brian

> She lives alone, so she can't have eggs, right?


Nope, the male has no part in egg creation. He's only around for external fertilization of the eggs. Then he flees. Actually, the mother frog flees at that point too.

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## nicodimus22

So, does that mean she will eventually lay the unfertilized eggs in her water dish? I know about egg-binding from my geckos, but I've never heard of it with a toad before. She doesn't always look as bloated as she does in that picture, just when she has soaked in the water for a while.

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## Gail

My understanding is that if a male is not present to fertilizes the eggs she can reabsorb them back into her body, or she may become egg-bound.  I lost my Rosie last year from being egg-bound.  But lets hope someone with more experience chimes in on this.

Love the pig pic!!

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## Ashley

My big girl has always reabsorbed the eggs.  I have a male now and I hope they will breed this year.

A female American Toad gets very very fat when she has eggs.  They also may change a darker rust red in color.

Here  is a picture of my girl when she is not full of eggs.  The indoor  lighting gave the darker pictures a yellow hugh that is not there in  real life:





Here are some pictures I took just now for a comparison.  She is very gravid!:





I  did not weigh her last fall before brumation.  But just now weighed and  measured her.  She is 4" snout to vent.  She weighs 154 grams with all  those eggs in her.  Once she either lays them or absorbs them I will  weigh her again.  While gravid the sides of her belly hang over the  sides of my hand lol!  :Big Grin:

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## Ashley

Measured and weighed my male just for kicks.  He is close to 3" and 45 grams.

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## nicodimus22

> My big girl has always reabsorbed the eggs.  I have a male now and I hope they will breed this year.
> 
> A female American Toad gets very very fat when she has eggs.  They also may change a darker rust red in color.
> 
> Here  is a picture of my girl when she is not full of eggs.  The indoor  lighting gave the darker pictures a yellow hugh that is not there in  real life:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What a beautiful toad! Do you know how old she is? Mine is coming up on 2 years, but she's still just over 2 inches long. I'd love to see her get over 3" eventually.

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## Ashley

Nope.  She was an adult when I got her and I've had her for 2 years.  So, I don't know her actual age.

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## Crystal

Loooove these toads pics.  Including puffy Gwen, who looks pretty content for how puffed she is.  Big Mamma is awesome; I love her face.  I'd weigh Banjo, but I don't have a scale suitable for it.  She's less than year old and 2.5in long, a whole inch and a quarter bigger than she was 5mnths ago.  She's holding in a poo right now tho, unless she hid it, so any weighing I could do would be off.  If I was a drug dealer, I'd be set with electric scales.  Altho, if I'm selling dubia, I should maybe invest in a scale to make things easier.  If I do get one, I'll weigh her.

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## Ashley

I got a cheap postal scale just for the purpose of weighing my critters.

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## Crystal

Was checking some out on ebay last night but I was outbid.  They're still inexpensive, about $10.

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## nicodimus22

I got this one for weighing my guinea pigs and other critters. Love it. Couldn't be simpler to use.

Amazon.com: Ozeri Pro Digital Kitchen Food Scale, 1g to 12 lbs Capacity, in Stylish Black: Kitchen & Dining

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## Crystal

> I got this one for weighing my guinea pigs and other critters. Love it. Couldn't be simpler to use.
> 
> Amazon.com: Ozeri Pro Digital Kitchen Food Scale, 1g to 12 lbs Capacity, in Stylish Black: Kitchen & Dining


I have my eye on a kitchen/postal scale from China.  I've had bad luck buying things online lately, but I've been refunded for 2/3's of it and only one was purchased from overseas.  So go figure.  

So my little lady has been having trouble making poops on her own, outside of a warm bath (she did take a poo yesterday in a bath, but I hate stressing her like that.).  It's been pretty cold here lately, but her tank air stays around 77 F.  Her substrate must be colder.  Last night I went to the dollar store and picked up an electric heat mat for $12.  One of the ones that doesn't automatically shut off (so I can use it for bugs later).  Placed it under the side of her tank with water dish last night, then moved it to other side this morning and fed her a worm.  Two worms yesterday after poop.  
Keeping an eye on thermometer/barometer, (temp is interestingly LOWER than it was, even after clearing any condensation from gauge); hoping this helps regulate her digestion.  Everybody poops, Banjo needs to get with the program more than once a week!  Anyway, right now she's sitting in water dish, after sitting for a bit on warm dirt.  Or she was, then I scared her adjusting mat and now she's back on her sitting rock.  
As long as it doesn't get too hot on the bottom (why I switched sides), this should be ok for now, right?  The mat doesn't get all that hot anyway, which is good.  The only thing is that the heat is making things condensate, but I felt her dirt was too moist anyway.  Also, if this does work, gotta get any poops outta there, don't want to heat them up and encourage bacteria any more than I already am.  She lives in a plastic tank, with a thick bottom.  Right now, I can only gauge how warm the bottom is by sticking a finger into the substrate, because my people thermometer's battery is dead (had a temp I was monitoring recently).  I need to take Paul's so I can be sure I'm not cooking my baby.  
Her diet lately has been a few baby dubia and mostly earthworms, out of concern for her tiny system.  I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, as toads don't NEED supplemental heat and they're prone to OVER-heating (I've read) but she's still cold-blooded and reptiles need warm spots to get their guts moving...
I won't be using a heat mat in Summer or when it warms up, but somebody tell me this gets easier!  Her poops are good and solid, but too freaking big for her to be going without me seeing it in tank (and I do look).  And too infrequent.  I alternate calcium/d3 and reptivite (skipping reptivite lately with earth worms, and only using calcium powder), and only one dusting a day.  She usually gets fed daily, but lately a bit less, as she's growing up and I thought maybe I was feeding her too much.  Does reptivite bind a little toad system?  Does calcium?  Should I eat some and find out?  (just kidding)  Felt her tummy, no hard lumps.  
Yes, yes she's a toad I found on my way home from work, not an exotic frog, but she's just as important to me as if she were.  As if that isn't obvious from my concerned rambles...  Posting this here cuz you're toad appreciators with more experience than I.

One hour later, and she's back in water dish.  Luxurious, I can tell by her face.  It's a metal dish, extra warmth.

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## nicodimus22

> I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, as toads don't NEED supplemental heat and they're prone to OVER-heating (I've read) but she's still cold-blooded and reptiles need warm spots to get their guts moving...


My 2 cents on the subject: As long as you're allowing the toad to regulate her own body temperature by having a thermal gradient (warm and cool end of the cage) it can't be doing too much harm, since she can move if she is feeling too warm. I've never had to heat my toad, since my apartment is usually in the mid-70s regardless of the season.

You might want to get a temp gun like this: 

Amazon.com: Zoo Med ReptiTemp Digital Infrared Thermometer: Pet Supplies

This allows you to measure the surface temperature of the substrate and not just the air. You can actually hold the button down and move it around and you'll see the temperature change in real time. Very useful for anyone trying to provide a specific belly heat to his/her critters. (I have leopard geckos too and wanted to make sure their warm side of the habitat was exactly 90 degrees.)

I'm sure most would agree that it doesn't really matter where your pets come from in terms of what you'll do for their benefit. You will feel the same happiness and loss from them whether you got them for free or paid a pretty penny. I found my toad hiking when she was just leaving the water as a 1/2 inch long toadlet. There were actually hundreds of them, and unfortunately they were coming out right next to a heavily-traveled trail head and many were being stepped on by hikers who didn't notice them. I scooped up three of them, and only one ended up surviving to adulthood, even in much safer conditions. My hamsters were free too, because they were injured and needed a home. Still love the little fuzzballs (when they slow down enough for me to see them, which is rare.)

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## Crystal

> I'm sure most would agree that it doesn't really matter where your pets come from in terms of what you'll do for their benefit. You will feel the same happiness and loss from them whether you got them for free or paid a pretty penny. I found my toad hiking when she was just leaving the water as a 1/2 inch long toadlet. There were actually hundreds of them, and unfortunately they were coming out right next to a heavily-traveled trail head and many were being stepped on by hikers who didn't notice them. I scooped up three of them, and only one ended up surviving to adulthood, even in much safer conditions. My hamsters were free too, because they were injured and needed a home. Still love the little fuzzballs (when they slow down enough for me to see them, which is rare.)


 Yes!!  <3 <3

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## Crystal

It's always pretty warm in here, but she's on top of the fridge, so basically on top of the freezer.  There's also a window nearby.  77F air seems fine (that's what it's hangin tough at) *edit* 72F not 77F.  but there was no place for her to go to get a little extra warmth.  I just enlarged her vent holes on lid with a scissor blade, sliced myself up on the plastic, but I hope this helps with ventilation and less condensation.  Worked for my roaches.  She's back in her burrow now, on the side without heat mat.

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## Crystal

> You might want to get a temp gun like this: 
> 
> Amazon.com: Zoo Med ReptiTemp Digital Infrared Thermometer: Pet Supplies
> 
> This allows you to measure the surface temperature of the substrate and not just the air. You can actually hold the button down and move it around and you'll see the temperature change in real time. Very useful for anyone trying to provide a specific belly heat to his/her critters. (I have leopard geckos too and wanted to make sure their warm side of the habitat was exactly 90 degrees.)


I looked that up too, and can get one for $9.99 new.  Seems like a smart buy.  Thanks!

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## MuchoTaco

I was searching to see what a healthy weight would be for my female american toad and saw your post saying yours was 43g. Compared to my whooping 152g, i think one of ours is either under or OVER weight. Lol

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