Any fellow herpers here from ontario?

[cory]

Hello all,

I hope I'm posting this in the right spot.

My name is cory and I live in belleville. This is my first post I think but I've been a member for a while and love this site.

Thought it would be nice to meet fellow herpers here in ontario. I currently keep 3 c. orientalis, 3 tiger salamanders, 1 pleurodeles waltl(I think) and 5 bombina orientalis. All in their own enclosures of course.

It is very hard in my area to find caudates, actually amphibians in general for sale. There is a superpet store here which isn't too bad other than the prices are a bit steep plus there is a store in peterborough called animalia which I've been to twice.

Well hope to hear from the rest of the ontarians here.

TTYL

Cory

 

[ian]

haha.. Ontarian.. Here I am. I really want to meet more Ontario Herpers, especially those into caudates.

I have 4 C.O adults and current 50 larvae and Morphs. Once have some floating frogs, but have no enclosure for easy care. So I returned them.

There is several PJ's pets in the big malls of Toronto. They carry lot of amphibians and Rept. There is also a place called Reptilia which is a big warehouse specialized in Herps. However, I guess due to the temperature, they dont have newts. only Tiger Sala and Dart Frogs and lot of reptiles.

And I usually visit a Chinese Fish Store which sale a lot of amphibians. They have some Caecilians, Floating frog, Fire belly frog, clawed Frog, C.O., sometimes have Emperor Newt and Rough Skinned Newt.

Going to the Ontario Reptile Expo? http://www.reptileexpo.ca/

I really look forward to form a small community of Local Caudate Herpers

 

[josh]

I am also glad to see more Ontarian herpers here

I don't have any newts or salamanders yet but I have a leopard gecko

Ian I am also looking forward to the reptile expo but Ian did you mean kaisers spotted newts?

(Message edited by twig on November 16, 2005)

 

[ian]

kaisers spotted newts?? No? Actually, I don't know what you are referring to... sorry

 

[kevin]

I'm from Mississauga.

We have Port Credit Pets nearby, which usually doesn't have too many salamanders but generally has a bunch of healthy frogs & newts.

I'm looking forward to going to the expo as well -- actually, this threda reminded me of it...I remember going several years ago and haven't gone since unfortunately.

What types of salamanders do you guys see in Ontario in the wild?

 

[ian]

I never seen one in the actual wilderness of Toronto. But these are what we have in Ontario.
Mudpuppy, Eastern Newt, Spotted Sala, Blue-spotted Sala, jefferson Sala, Small Mouthed Sala, Northern Dusky Sala, Northern Two-lined Sala, Four-toed Sala, Eastern Red-back Sala.

By the way, you mentioned about that Port Credit Pets. Where is it and what newts do they have?
I am interested.

 

[josh]

2 years ago for school we went to mansfield and there was a huge pond there where we tried to catch animals from the pond (and obviously put them back in)
There I caught 18 Notophthalmus viridescens (eastern newts )and my partner for the ting almost caught a frog but I'm not sure what type of frog it was.It was really fun

Ian I was reffering to this
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Neurergus/N_kaiseri.shtml
I'm not sure if I can just post the pictures here without permission

(Message edited by twig on November 17, 2005)

 

[ian]

o... that one is beautiful. But no. I was talkinga about Tylototriton shanjing (Mandarin, Emperor Newt)

There is actually a Book by Ross D. MacCulloch. The ROM Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario. Lot of info and very nice pictures. I think they are still available in Chapters. I just saw two still on the shelf.

 

[cory]

So far I'm the only one east of the GTA.

Probably not going to the expo as I'd have to drive up by myself as I know absolutely no fellow herp enthusiasts in my area.

I just moved into the city here, I lived previously in rural hastings county 10 minutes north of belleville. Lots of wildlife, deer, bears, foxes, fishers, plus lots of herps.

Only caudates I've seen in the wild are blue spotted sals and redbacked sals. Very elusive creatures to find, only ever found them while it was raining. I'd really like to see some wild eastern newts, but I've yet to find any in my area, also spotted sals.

Hoping to check out some vernal pools I know of next spring to maybe see some breeding sals.

It's too bad that caudates aren't more popular in the hobby, but I do see more these days. Plus both walmarts in my area stopped selling C. orientalis and dwarf frogs, which is good as they were kept in very poor conditions.

The rom field guide is a very good book, I have about 20 books on herps myself. I've been fascinated with them my whole life.

Later

Cory

 

[josh]

Ian I have that book but I can't remember where I got it

Cory you're right about walmart they have they're fish in really good conditions then you go see the C. orientalis where they are kept in REALLY bad conditions .The only place I would buy C. orientalis from would be a breeder or at Al's fishstore (or something like that )because they look healthier than any other place I've gone to

I've been to Port Credit Pets (I bought my leopard gecko from there)but I diden't see any newts or salamanders

 

[gord]

Hey all:

I'm from Thunder Bay. I usually post on the crocodile newt board. A couple years ago I renewed a childhood interest in caudates.I picked up two verrucosus at the local Super Pet. they are thriving. Then I got a couple ribbed newts, two C orientalis and this summer, while in Peterborough, I visited Animalia.I freaked as they had taricha granulosa and T. shanjing. I picked up two granulosa and drove them back with me to T bay. Then this summer Super Pet had a half dozen shanjing. Bought three of those, although one died. I've also got a pac man and some bombina...so as the tanks have increased, my wife has been giving me funny looks! She is a very understanding woman.

I'd like to get a couple eastern newts but they are hard to find (in the wild) these days.

GE

 

[ian]

o. by the way. Eastern newts are illegal in ontario.

 

[kevin]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Ian Choi wrote on Thursday, 17 November, 2005 - 02:30 :</font>

"By the way, you mentioned about that Port Credit Pets. Where is it and what newts do they have?
I am interested."<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

Heh..sorry about the late reply.

I'm not too much of a newt person myself, but I know they have firebellies and a few other species. I've bought some frogs from them and they were all exceptionally healthy so I don't think you'd have a problem with anything from there. They're a reptile/amphibian specialty store so they are very good.

Check them out online

portcreditpets.com

Sorry about the late reply btw! lol

So with the reptile expos...I was actually out west during the last one...Grey Cup weekend..heh..but I will be going to the one in February for sure. I'm looking to get a male leopard gecko & an incubator..I know this isn't a reptile forum but could someone with experience tell me what they think about my chances of getting a very high quality animal there?

Also...what types of amphibians have they historically had? I know I've seen fire salamanders but I can't think of what else...

 

[gord]

Ian:

I see in your reply post you say eastern newts are illegal to have in Ontario.Yet I don't see them listed as specially protected? And if I read right, a person can keep one specially protected amphibian in Ontario, but not more.

This is a cut and paste from carcnet.ca:

" a person who keeps in captivity for the purpose of personal education a single game reptile, game
amphibian, …, specially protected reptile, specially protected amphibian … (for details on release see
section 46(4)); (Note: It is illegal to keep more than one individual of any species of game or specially protected reptile or amphibian in captivity. It is also illegal to keep more than one individual under these categories in captivity (i.e. one individual each of several species). This subsection was put in place to recognize that well-meaning individuals, often children for the home or classroom, pick up an animal which they find interesting. Individuals may possess this animal indeterminately. Release is not necessarily encouraged, unless it is immediate and in the location where the animal was captured. All other sections of the Act apply and an animal kept in captivity under section 40(2)(b) may not be sold, bred, consumed, served or killed."

Any one else have a different interpretation?

GE

 

[ian]

Yes, you are right, I totally forgot about that. But remember, only one animal. If you keep spotted salamander as well, then you can't keep eastern newt. And you also need to get a hunting license to catch eastern newt in the wild.

Provide that I can only keep one animal, I can never breed them. So holding them captive is not doing any credit to the wild. And somehow I think that they might feel lonely. So I try to avoid doing that, even I really wanted to keep some eastern newts as well. So I gradually forgot about the idea of keeping one animal, since I personally baned the idea to keep a lone animal at all.

If some how if we can get eastern newt outside of Ontario, it will make it legal by not doing any hunting at all. Or you can keep a subspecies of eastern newt that is not found in Ontario. So that way, you can keep more than one. I have thought about these plan before as well. Hope these can be a good reference.

 

[mark]

Snip: “Provide that I can only keep one animal, I can never breed them. So holding them captive is not doing any credit to the wild.”

Hrm… strange logic - taking 2 or more animals is doing even less credit to the wild population.

I’m not sure how breeding a protected species in captivity would help their wild status unless you were part of a controlled cb release program.

 

[ian]

Oh yea... you are right. maybe I think too much. I always imagine that if one day, the wild is so screwed up that many animals became extinct, what kept in captivity will be what remain. Because I am really worried about amphibian decline. Surely I was not really suggesting to capture any animal from the wild. But actually getting some from a breeder.

 

[patrick]

hello im new to the forum i own some fire bellies, and i was looking for eastern newts , are u sure they are illegal cuz i know there are aparently lots around in the wild of our area and well growing up downtown hamilton i have never had a chance to go catch any but now i live in barrie and have gotten into them and have spent time calling stores and one of them said they use to have them ....so u sure its illegal well i know paulmac's in barrie has fire bellied newts and oregon newts but thats all iv found so far . well fire bellies are everwere tho
ok im rambling so hi

 

[ian]

yes. Native species in Ontario are illegal to catch without hunting license and illegal to keep more than one of them.
It is recorded in Ontario Herp Field guild and you can also find a document recording this regulation at Environmental Ministry website of ONtario.

Official info from gov: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/97f41_e.htm#BK48

This is most upto dated. so maybe they changed. BUt I breifly read it and it still indicated that it is illegal. If any pet store still sell them, they are illegal as well.

 

[tracy]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and came across this thread

I'm from Toronto, ontario. I don't currently own any Newts or Sala, but am in the search for them. I haven't been to alot of pet stores yet as I'm pretty busy these days. Anyone can help me locate a few stores in Toronto that carries them? Thanks in advance