Variegata

[Hooky87]

I will be getting some of theses toads soon but have a few questions first do you have to hibernate these toads , second i know they love to bask so will i require any lighting to encurage this, also i know people keep these toads outdoors but i read that they can only tolerate temps of 4 to 6c if this is true how do the toads survive our ice cold winter. Any other info that might help that would be great
cheers

Matt

 

[Mark]

Do you know where they originate from? Populations in northern parts of it's range will certainly experience cold winters similar to (or even worse than) our English winters. If the animals originate from a southern European population then perhaps they will not be well adapted to very cold temperatures.

When keeping any temperate amphibian outdoors you need to provide suitable refuges from frost and heat.

 

[Hooky87]

Hi mark not 100% sure where they originate from but i can find out also i will not be keeping these toads outdoors was just interested to know how they survive our winters as i know a few people that do keep them out doors cheers

Matt

 

[pezzatos]

I think the best you can do is an outdoor setup, with three or five very small ponds (better than a big one, more suitable for newts). Also the water level might be very low; about max 30 cm in the deepest point and only a few cm in the lowest point. The setup must be in a very sunny place, preferibly south exposed, because as you say, they really like basking! Also with air temperature about more than 30°C they love stay under the sun, in the low water point. Almost in every place, they do not tollerate the presence of large newts (ex: T. cristatus) in theyr reproduction ponds 'cause they eat them tadpoles, so beware of this!
If you keep them in a terrarium, you might provide an UV light, and change it every year, because they need it as much as possible; like every Bombina do.
Don't worry for the winter! They need it to reproduce well! Make only sure you have a point of the setup with a lot of dead leafs and bark, so they can disappear in the cold period.
Don't forget to make sure they would not excape from the outdoor setup; and make sure also that any other animals would not enter!

 

[Hooky87]

Cheers for the replys what UVB intensitie, 2.0, 5.0 and 10.0 would i need to use for these toads.

Matt

 

[drew121]

Hi toads are kept outdoors all year apart from a few weeks when I keep them in a heated aquarium to get them to spawn , once I have enough eggs they go back outdoors and do extremely well , even last years young , some only aout 1.5cm long made it through last winter no prob .