Variegata UVB

[Dendroman]

I would like to hibernate the toads as i know it effects they long term health but have had no experiance doing so and have no fridge controlled to a stat to do so i keep my fire sals in my garage but i bring them in when the temp drops too low as my garage only stays a few degrees warmer than the outside temp also i dont have these toads yet just getting as much info on them 1st

P.S is pachypus not a speices of its own

[Alex M]

Originally Posted by Dendroman

I would like to hibernate the toads as i know it effects they long term health but have had no experiance doing so and have no fridge controlled to a stat to do so i keep my fire sals in my garage but i bring them in when the temp drops too low as my garage only stays a few degrees warmer than the outside temp also i dont have these toads yet just getting as much info on them 1st

P.S is pachypus not a speices of its own

Yes pachypus is now Bombina pachypus, but it's a yellow bellied toad no question. I do think that some of the taxonomic reclassifications going on today quite frankly don't make any sense, and i know i'm not alone in these thoughts. I couldn't see why this species had changed from a variegata subspecies to be honest, it seemed a little crazy to me. What's going to be happening in another 20 years, will there be subspecies of pachypus too? The mind boggles. Not so many years ago i could remember the scientific name to every European herptile no problem. Nowadays it's been broken up so extensively that i'd struggle to do half correctly under the current scientific names. What was wrong with Bufo viridis? Lacerta lepida? Coluber viridiflavus?...

I'll get off my soapbox

[Dendroman]

I agree, if i was to try hibernate the frogs how long do they need and how do i know they will survive it do you think if i created some sort of hiberation tub which is deep with moss and leaf litter and left in my garage would this work.

[Alex M]

Originally Posted by Dendroman

I agree, if i was to try hibernate the frogs how long do they need and how do i know they will survive it do you think if i created some sort of hiberation tub which is deep with moss and leaf litter and left in my garage would this work.

I'm sure it would be fine. You would need to make frequent checks on them to make sure all is well (i have no way of telling you what'll survive and what won't, it's normally extremely minimal regarding losses - but basically healthy adults do not have the mortality rate of youngsters in their first hibernation, not that you should lose many youngsters providing they are fairly plump and healthy). If you can your best chance is hibernating each toad in a seperate tub. The reason for this is if one does die, then you'll avoid one problem of communal hibernation - the gases that will build up from the dead specimen will quickly knock out even the healthiest of toads - and i made this mistake with some Pelobates once (you tend to find they will all bundle together when hibernating and sleeping next to a fellow but dead anuran will kill the others rapidly, within days). Keep an eye on the moisture level too - fridges draw moisture out so i always have a spray gun on hand to lightly moisten the box as and when is neccessary. In a garage setting i'd keep them a little drier, but slightly moistened if you know what i mean, the garage will not draw the moisture out of the toad in the same way a fridge would so it'll save you some hassle. I would hibernate anywhere between 2 - 4 months, more for nominate variegata (4 months) and less for say scabra (2 months or so). To be honest you could hibernate even the more northerly forms for only 2 months and when restoring longer daylengths and temperatures above say 70f breeding activity would resume. To induce further spawnings (they will breed for most of the summer months), remove some of the water as if you were carrying out a water change and then add some cool conditioned water... This will almost certainly do the trick.

[Dendroman]

got ya so as long as i provide moss and leaf litter that is deep enought you rekon they will survive our winter because like i said my garage is only a tad bit warmer than the outside temp

[Alex M]

Originally Posted by Dendroman

got ya so as long as i provide moss and leaf litter that is deep enought you rekon they will survive our winter because like i said my garage is only a tad bit warmer than the outside temp

My adults survive all year round outside so i wouldn't worry about your garage getting too cold, i would make sure if anything that it doesn't get too warm thus rousing them from hibernation. Keep them COLD permanently during this period... there is nothing worse than them waking up/dormant/waking up/dormant in unstable air temperatures, they will waste valuable reserves in this scenario which could be fatal. The temperature can fluctuate as long as it doesn't quite hit temps that will rouse them early. Last winter was very harsh even here in Dorset, for example they hibernated for around 5 months of the year down here in sub zero temperatures at times... tough as old boots!.

[Dendroman]

and what would you say was hight temps cheers again alex for all you help on this


Matt

[Alex M]

Originally Posted by Dendroman

and what would you say was hight temps cheers again alex for all you help on this


Matt

No worries, you've kept me out of the pub and that's a good thing mate!Just keep it below 6c or so, and you'll be fine.

[Ben W]

As Al said earlier, variagata do love a bit of heat, as you will see by my little ones under a spot light.

Ben

[Alex M]

Originally Posted by Ben W

As Al said earlier, variagata do love a bit of heat, as you will see by my little ones under a spot light.

Ben

I'm sure Ben won't mind me mentioning that these are a few of the variegata that i bred this year so it gives me great pleasure to see them doing so well - Nice one Ben, they look very healthy