Toads fed mealworms ad libitum for 24-hr periods once a week retained water in the body in amounts that varied with meal size, as well as temporally. 2. The ratio between masses of water retained and mealworms eaten increased from about 0.5 in May to about 1.3 by mid-July, and declined again at the end of the seasonal feeding period. 3. It is argued that this pattern reflects seasonal variation in the secretion of digestive (gastric) juice in response to meal size. 4. The cutaneous drinking response, reflected in number of visits to the water source, increased in strength with successive feedings. 5. It is suggested that the drinking response to feeding included a secondary, behavioural component, superimposed upon a primary response to feeding.
