Bumble bee toad

[Detrick105]

I just picked up my toads! All seven look nice & healthy! I have them in a 20 gallon with paper towel & plant clippings so I can get a fecal done. Then I'll put the toads in a 40 breeder. I'm glad to see everyone so interested in them! I'll post some pics tonight.
Steve

[SethDoty]

Originally Posted by Afemoralis

Hey,

While I'm stoked to see all the interest in these cool little frogs (and getting long-term captive culture going), I just want to make sure that there is at least some consideration of how the collection is going down.

I'll say up front: I have no knowledge of this particular importation/importer. It won't stop me from guessing (based on the biology of the genus) that these wild caught frogs are getting snatched up from breeding aggregations. The "economics" of breeding aggregation harvests are well known, published on, and particularly gruesome when it comes to population declines.

Think twice, and then a third time, before purchasing wild-caught frogs- even if you have the best of intentions (and I believe you do), the purchase may be funding an unsustainable harvest and doing serious damage to populations or species. It is worth knowing more about.

-Afemoralis

I strongly suspect this particular species is in little real danger in the wild based on what I know of the species and from some past personal communications with some folks down there. In past importations a significant portion of the individuals imported were sub adults. This time things appear the same. I am not sure of the collection mechanism but breeding aggregations seem unlikely since so many juveniles are imported.

[zBrinks]

I've come across a couple references that suggested these toads breed around October, so I doubt they are being grabbed from breeding aggregations.

[SethDoty]

On the note of determining the collection mechanism, you who have received some already, what is the average SVL? I ended up getting some more today(7) and two were about 25mm and the rest were just under 20mm. From when I was breeding them that suggests about six month old frogs unless these come from a population that has smaller adults. I am interested to see aprox. how many are adults and how many are juveniles. I think mine will need at least a year or so to grow up completely.

[d.crockett]

Well, mine finally arrived after a 5 hour delay due to the weather. The heat pack was spent and my first impression upon inspecting them was that they were dead. I moved them into individual quarantine containers anyway and within an hour they all started moving around. Then, while I was checking on them a couple hours later I noticed my little grey cat was really interested in the shipping container left on the floor. I reached down and picked it up, and another toad was crawling around in it! I guess he was hitchhiking in the moss. Anyhow, I will try and measure them and get some pics tonight, but all of them are under 25mm for sure, with most being around 20mm.

[trow]

A year is a good estimate these are far to small to breed although you may hear a stray chirp from a boisterous teenager which is what they are size wise.
I say sit back relax and enjoy the toads worry about collection methods later

[Ed]

I have to find it, but I seem to remember a paper that discussed movement across roads and mortality. These may be road collected juveniles as they move from one habitat to another habitat. This could result in the discrepency seen in the age groups.

Also chytrid has been documented in at least one other species of Melanophryniscus (see Ferreira, T. K., Lamarão, F. R. M., Moraes, M. O. & van Sluys, M. (2008) Amphibian chytrid infection in Melanophryniscus moreirae (Bufonidae) in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. Herpetol. Rev: 39; 445-446.) so testing should be considered for imports.

Ed

[Detrick105]

So all toads should be tested for fungus & parasites ! Here's two pic's I took of some of them.

[Jordan77]

Nicee cant wait to get mine on saturday!!!

[fleshfrombone]

I want some!