Narrow-Mouthed Toads Currently AVAILABLE!
Meet the Narrow-Mouthed Toad: Small, Secretive, and Unique
The Narrow-Mouthed Toad is a fascinating native amphibian known for its rounded body, pointed snout, and unusual ant-loving diet. Despite the name, this species is actually a tiny frog-like toad with smooth skin and a distinctive high-pitched call that resembles the bleating of a sheep.
Appearance:
Narrow-Mouthed Toads are small, compact amphibians that usually grow between 1 and 1.5 inches long. They typically display gray, brown, or olive coloration with a dark stripe running along the sides of the body. Their narrow pointed head and smooth skin give them a very unique appearance compared to most true toads.
Habitat:
In nature, these toads are commonly found in moist woodlands, grassy fields, wetlands, ponds, and areas with loose soil and leaf litter. They spend much of their time hidden under logs, rocks, or vegetation where humidity remains high.
Behavior:
Narrow-Mouthed Toads are shy, secretive, and mostly nocturnal. They are excellent burrowers and prefer spending daylight hours hidden beneath moist substrate. During rainy weather and warm evenings, males produce their distinctive nasal calls near shallow water.
Diet:
These tiny toads specialize in feeding on ants, termites, and other very small insects. In captivity, they can also consume pinhead crickets, flightless fruit flies, springtails, and other appropriately sized live prey.
Lifespan:
With proper care and stable environmental conditions, Narrow-Mouthed Toads can live several years in captivity.
Care Tips:
These toads thrive in humid naturalistic enclosures with soft substrate and plenty of hiding areas.
- Temperature: Maintain temperatures between 70–80°F.
- Humidity: Ideal humidity ranges between 60–80%.
- Enclosure: Bioactive terrariums with moss, leaf litter, cork bark, and shallow water dishes work very well.
- Substrate: Use moisture-retaining substrate suitable for burrowing.
- Water Quality: Always provide clean, dechlorinated water.
- Feeding: Offer very small live insects several times weekly.
Why Narrow-Mouthed Toads Stand Out:
- Unique appearance unlike typical frogs or toads
- Interesting natural burrowing behavior
- Small size perfect for naturalistic terrariums
- Distinctive sheep-like calls during breeding season
- Native species well adapted to southeastern environments