What Do Horned Toads Eat?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 13, 2020

Horned toads primarily eat ants, but they may also eat grasshoppers, beetles and spiders. Horned toads raised as pets also eat crickets and may also benefit from a vitamin or calcium substitute.

Rather than chase their food, horned toads wait for unsuspecting prey. Often, horned toads sit near an anthill until their prey comes close enough to eat, then they swallow it whole. While in captivity with other reptiles, horned toads take the same leisurely approach to eating as in the wild. During feeding time, horned toads hang back while other reptiles eat, sometimes even after all of the available food has been eaten. As a result, housing horned toads with other species is not advised.