European Green Toad info and enclosure pictures wanted.

[purpleskyes]

Hi,

First post in this section I am not actually into amphibians myself they are very pretty to look at but I like lizards.

Anyways I need any info and pictures of enclosure designs you guys could give me for a college assignment we have to redesign the European Green Toads enclosure.

I have had a look on google and really cant find anything, the only info I got was they live in several different countries and can live in lots of different habitats from wet jungles right through to dry deserts.

Any help would be great thanks.

[Alex M]

Hi Purpleskyes,

I keep both Greek and Italian viridis. They Italians live in a 5 x 4 outdoor enclosure although i've got some of the smaller ones indoors at the moment. I've found the Egyptian subspecies arabicus are year round tolerant of our weather too, and have bred these before outdoors, they tend to spawn during June. Give these guys access to good quality UVB - i prefer Arcadia but others may have their favourites too. Combined with a spotlight on during the day you will notice these guys will bask. They are an active species of toad and therefore i cannot recommend them as suitable for relatively small vivaria, they are also generally quite a nervous species but some became quite tame when they know you've got a hand full of roaches or waxworms (which i feed alot of during the latter part of the summer for obvious reasons). I'm sorry i don't have pictures of enclosures but there's not alot to see at this time of year, again for obvious reasons.

I wish more people could see a European Green alongside an Egyptian Green, the Europeans really are a step up in terms of vivid colouration.

Cheers
Al

[purpleskyes]

Originally Posted by Alex M

Hi Purpleskyes,

I keep both Greek and Italian viridis. They Italians live in a 5 x 4 outdoor enclosure although i've got some of the smaller ones indoors at the moment. I've found the Egyptian subspecies arabicus are year round tolerant of our weather too, and have bred these before outdoors, they tend to spawn during June. Give these guys access to good quality UVB - i prefer Arcadia but others may have their favourites too. Combined with a spotlight on during the day you will notice these guys will bask. They are an active species of toad and therefore i cannot recommend them as suitable for relatively small vivaria, they are also generally quite a nervous species but some became quite tame when they know you've got a hand full of roaches or waxworms (which i feed alot of during the latter part of the summer for obvious reasons). I'm sorry i don't have pictures of enclosures but there's not alot to see at this time of year, again for obvious reasons.

I wish more people could see a European Green alongside an Egyptian Green, the Europeans really are a step up in terms of vivid colouration.

Cheers
Al

What size enclosure would you recommend for a single animal kept indoors? Also what would you have in its enclosure? what watt and 5 spot and uv would you recommend.

Thank you for the info.

[Alex M]

Originally Posted by purpleskyes

What size enclosure would you recommend for a single animal kept indoors? Also what would you have in its enclosure? what watt and 5 spot and uv would you recommend.

Thank you for the info.

Well, many will disagree but i personally think a standard 2' x 1' vivarium is unfair on such an active species and people recommending this as such must have either little or no real experience with this species, they are not a typical ambush predator such as say ceratophrys, they are active hunters (although they will ambush prey too!) and so i would recommend a 3' vivarium be it for one animal or as many as 3 - they will utilise every inch of it, mark my words. One of my favourite things in the summer months is to watch this species scurrying around their enclosure and could not imagine them living happily in something small (infact they regularly exhibit signs of stress in small vivaria). In terms of UV, it has to be 10.0 or 12.0 if you get the arcadia lights (which brand-wise are purely a personal choice). Also, ignore the nonsense on the exo terra boxes that suggest desert or rainforest - this is extremely misleading. By providing a 12.0 tube you will not be overdoing it, infact it's not a patch on strong Mediterranean sunshine which they will bask in, they exhibit this behaviour even on the hottest of days here in Dorset too, i know from placing my hands alongside them on the substrate that they are quite comfortable sitting in temperatures which would be more in keeping with Uromastyx optimal temperatures. However, i'm not suggesting for one moment that they should be kept at 136f, i would say highs of 78-82f ambient are fine, with a basking area hotter and obviously a cooler end in the early 70's. By watching your toads basking habits you will see what makes them happiest - all crowded under the spot and it's safe to assume you can raise it a degree or 2, all basking around the edge of the spot then drop it a degree or 2 and so on until you find the right gradient.

All the very best
Al