General Information: Oak Toads (Anaxyrus quercicus) are a small sized toad in the North American Toad family (Anaxyrus). They are the smallest toad species found in North America, and range throughout the longleaf pine ecosystem in the coastal plains of the United States. They are native primarily to the coastal plains of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Due to their small size and large genetic difference from other native toads in their range like Southern and Fowler's Toads, it does not seem that Oak Toads hybridize with other toads in their native range.
Lifespan: Unfortunately wild caught Oak Toads tend to do very poorly in captivity, and most keepers seem to have a hard time keeping them alive for more than a year once taken into their care. While it is extremely rare to see captive bred Oak Toads available due to their challenging breeding requirements, captive bred individuals seem to do much better long term than their wild caught counterparts. While it is hard to say for sure with such limited information on this species at the moment, a realistic lifespan for a properly cared for Oak Toad that is captive bred may be 5-8 years in captivity.
Setup: Oak Toads can be kept in a wide variety of enclosures, but generally do best either in an easy to clean plastic tub/glass tank or a bioactive setup. Plastic tubs are normally easy to clean and are very good at keeping in moisture if ventilation is limited. Glass tanks are ideal for bioactive setups that do not need to be frequently cleaned. When using glass tanks, it is best to use some sort of solid plastic or glass lid as opposed to a screen lid. Screen lids tend to allow too much ventilation and can dry out the enclosure. When possible, a bioactive setup is the best choice for many keepers as when set up properly, it does not need to be frequently sterilized.
Enclosure Size: Due to their small size Oak Toads do not require a massive setup to be kept successfully, however they do appreciate space as they are more active than many other toad species. Groups of 3-5 Oak Toads can be housed in a 10 gallon glass aquarium or similarly sized setup. Larger groups tend to do well in either 20 gallon long or 40 gallon breeder glass aquariums.
Water Quality: Oak Toads do best with treated tap water in most cases if you live in the United States. Two water conditioners that we have used with great success are ReptiSafe by Zoo Med or Tap Water Conditioner by API. After the tap water is treated it should be left out for at least 24 hours before being used with toads. If you live in a place where the tap water is not safe for human consumption, it should not be used for your toads even if treated. Reconstituted reverse osmosis or spring water can be a suitable substitute for treated tap water if this is not an option. DO NOT USE DISTILLED WATER!!! Distilled water does not contain the normal nutrients found in tap and spring water, which can lead to the death of your Oak Toads if they are kept in it for extended periods of time.
Temperature: Oak Toads are tolerant of a wide variety of temperatures, but tend to do the best with daytime temperatures in the low to mid 70s Fahrenheit with a slight drop at night. Terrarium heaters are generally not recommended or needed for this species. If your Oak Toads arrive very cold or very hot from shipping, allow them to adjust to room temperature BEFORE introducing them to their new setup. Sudden changes in temperature can shock toads leading to death.
Substrate: Oak Toads can be successfully kept on a wide variety of substrates with great success, however for most setups they do best on a soil type substrate that has been compacted to reduce the risk of compaction due to ingestion of the substrate. Sphagnum peat moss or a similar type of soil mix works very well for both breeding setups that are cleaned every 10-14 days as well as bioactive setups. Coconut fiber or similar products can be used as well, however coconut husk based substrates generally do not grow plants nearly as consistently as other substrate options for a bioactive setup, and can be more susceptible to molding over time. If the substrate is kept moderately moist, a water dish is not required for many Oak Toad setups as long as the substrate does not easily dry out.
Lighting: With a proper diet, Oak Toads do not require any special type of lighting. While they may benefit from an additional light source, lighting is most useful for growing plants in a bioactive setup. Lighting that produces heat should be used with caution as to not overheat the terrarium. UVB can also be used however it is not required for this species.
Food Source: Oak Toads in captivity do well when raised on a diet of primarily lean feeders that don’t have a large fat content for optimal growth rates and proper development. Crickets and Red Runner Roaches both can make great staple feeders as they have good nutritional content, are easy to gut load and aren’t high in fat. Mealworms can be used in moderation to raise babies with good success, HOWEVER they should be used sparingly with subadults and adults, as their fat content almost always leads to obesity when used as a staple. Flightless Fruit Flies, Isopods, Lesser Mealworms, Rice Flour Beetles and a variety of other small feeders can also be used with great success when used in moderation relative to their nutritional content and when obtained from a quality source.
Supplements: Insect feeders should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement. Repashy Calcium Plus is the supplement we have had the most success with for everyday use. Dusting feeders either every feeding or every other feeding tends to work best for most setups. Keep in mind that much of the dust on a feeder released into an enclosure will likely wear off in the enclosure and will not be ingested by your Oak Toad. In a large naturalistic or bioactive setup, dusting feeders every feeding is generally best to ensure your animal is getting enough of the supplement. Most commercial vitamin supplements with Vitamin A use a form that is not able to be used by amphibians, so an additional supplement is needed to ensure your Oak Toad does not become deficient. Repashy Vitamin A Plus is a supplement made specifically for amphibians to be able to process, and can be given for one feeding session every 10-14 days, but never used more than once per week which can cause an overdose.