NEWS108
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Moreon the terrarium
Bufo
species are usually found in associa-
tionwithhumanhabitationand the terra-
riumdecorcan,forexample,simulateasec-
tion of wild garden. It is important to in-
clude one or more hiding-places, which
must be arranged so that the skinon the
back of the toad comes into contactwith
the ceilingof the cave,as only thenwill it
feel completely secure.Avoidheavy rocky
structures, as toads are very good at dig-
gingand thatcan lead tounfortunate "ava-
lanches".A flowerpot drainage dish filled
withwater (which shouldbe kept fresh)
shouldalwaysbe included in the toad ter-
rarium topermitbathing.
Outdoormaintenance
All
Bufo
speciesarewell suited tomainten-
ance inanoutdoor terrarium,though they
shouldbeoverwintered in thehouseat 5-
10 °C.Breeding almost always takes place
outdoors.CommonToadsmaybe conser-
vative as regards their spawningwaters -
theyarewell known for their annual bree-
Juvenile
Bufobufo
, just a fewweeksold.
dingmigrations - but essentiallywill also
regardanynewgardenpondasapossible
place tobreed. Like all European species,
theEuropeanCommonToad (
Bufobufo
) is
protectedandcanbekeptonlywithaper-
mit. A good alternative is the Japanese
CommonToad (
B. japonicus
).However, it is
essential tomake sure that this andother
foreign species cannot escapewhen kept
outdoors,as the introductionofalien
Bufo
species is thevery last thing thata respon-
sible terrariumkeeperwillwant tooccur.
Ifyouarenow filledwith thedesire tokeep
andbreed
Bufo
species,yourpetdealercan
undoubtedly order them for you from a
trustworthy wholesaler, for example Tro-
penparadies inOberhausen,Fax+490208-
665997
Theworst threat to
Bufo
species is theToadfly (
Luciliabufonivora
),whose larvaeeat into thebrainof the
living toadand thuscause itsdeath.Hence theoutdoor terrarium shouldalwaysbe fly-proof!
