Toads Wanted

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

I used to have an open ended account in the shop. Wednesday was his delivery day. I'd slide in there on my way to work.

Looking back, it was fukking surreal! He'd usually got the gear before I got there. I'd walk in, look at the tanks, freshly filled with god knows what. " Okay, John. Those toads and these salamanders. "

John would ask how many. Neither of us would bat an eyelid as I off handedly said: " The lot. " That was completely normal.

I had a dedicated room for all of it. Floor to ceiling tanks, all round. It was fukking amazing! Used blue light bulbs for where heat was needed. All run on a dimming thermostat. So, as the temperature came right, so the bulbs would all dim.

It was Indescribable!!! Come home, at night, after a hard and hectic shift, running myself crazy. Go up the stairs, already hearing the odd hoot and croak.

Open that door and it was like walking into another realm! Faerie land! Eerie, moon like glow. Hoots and creaks. Sound of waters running. Peripheral awareness of things creeping, in that slowly measured, piecemeal tread that only amphibians move with.

It was fukking Fantastic!!! I'd walk through that door and it was like breathing in Librium. Nothing mattered any more. Nothing could touch me. It all just floated away as I peered into tanks full of moss, bark and things which slithered, swam. Hunted. Or just sat there, balefully staring back at me.

Absolutely the best part of my life, looking back at it

 

[iworkwhippets 12,247]

6 minutes ago, Ken's Deputy said:

I used to have an open ended account in the shop. Wednesday was his delivery day. I'd slide in there on my way to work.

Looking back, it was fukking surreal! He'd usually got the gear before I got there. I'd walk in, look at the tanks, freshly filled with god knows what. " Okay, John. Those toads and these salamanders. "

John would ask how many. Neither of us would bat an eyelid as I off handedly said: " The lot. " That was completely normal.

I had a dedicated room for all of it. Floor to ceiling tanks, all round. It was fukking amazing! Used blue light bulbs for where heat was needed. All run on a dimming thermostat. So, as the temperature came right, so the bulbs would all dim.

It was Indescribable!!! Come home, at night, after a hard and hectic shift, running myself crazy. Go up the stairs, already hearing the odd hoot and croak.

Open that door and it was like walking into another realm! Faerie land! Eerie, moon like glow. Hoots and creaks. Sound of waters running. Peripheral awareness of things creeping, in that slowly measured, piecemeal tread that only amphibians move with.

It was fukking Fantastic!!! I'd walk through that door and it was like breathing in Librium. Nothing mattered any more. Nothing could touch me. It all just floated away as I peered into tanks full of moss, bark and things which slithered, swam. Hunted. Or just sat there, balefully staring back at me.

Absolutely the best part of my life, looking back at it

 

Then go for it mate it clearly makes you happy conservation eh we have a water garden here I've had a butchers but there's nowt doing   but they will be well hidden this weather have you got a pond 

[eastcoast 3,729]

I made a makeshift vivarium when I 1st started collecting small things from the wild. Probably not legal now and probably wasn't then. I could never work out how the playmate newts were escaping until one day sitting watching them and a frog took one of the newts. I was equally horrified and fascinated. I segregated the frogs and toads from the newts after that but found the bigger ones would eat the smaller ones. Another mistake I made, male bank voles and shrews will fight to the death if you try and keep them together. 

[forest of dean redneck 11,190]

16 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

See I hate reptiles with a passion but there is deffo summat about amphibians that makes ye feel like a kid again

Im opposite can’t stand the little shits when they hop at you  

an as for legality of posting not a clue ,

Royal Mail don’t allow knifes but enough people on bushcraft sites post them

but I know tarantulas an reptile live food could be posted . 
An yes there used to be herp specific couriers.

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

Pond? I've got lakes and rivers available! But, no, the very essence of Captive Breeding is that it's done in captivity. And you'd be fukking Amazed at how captive that can be!

Fire Salamanders? Had a pair in a little tank I knocked up. Foot square. Six inches high? Split diagonally for water and land areas. I fukking stood there and watched the most incredibly sensuous mating ritual take place, right before my eyes. On the dining table their little tank lived on.

Fukkers spawned in there. And I raised a good batch of baby salamanders from it.

Had toads of various types, breeding themselves to a stand still in tanks with probably less than two gallons of water.

Dunno what it is. Things just like to fukk, I guess? Though, saying that? Only case I ever heard of, of anyone breeding B. viridus? They basically had a huge, densely vegetated greenhouse. Fukkers were in there. But, they hardly ever saw them. What good's that?

But, then? I know a bloke, bred Skylarks (Yes. You read that right!) in a standard little breeding aviary. What are they? Four foot wide. Eight long. Six high?

Reckons the fukking bird would do the whole aerial display flight / song thing. At about five and a half feet!!!  Can you fukking Imagine That?!? Blows my fukking mind, completely!

But, yeah. Basically, it's amazing what one can achieve. We just need to follow certain protocols that trigger the right responses.

The toad, living under that discarded, broken flower pot at the bottom of the garden? He has absolutely No concept of the greater environment around him. He's never been told about the birds and the bees.

His little, toady, hormones tell him what he has to do. I just provide a comfortable environment for him until they kick in. Then ensure his quest ends successfully.

Must admit; That's where the fukking hard work kicks in! Any school kid can hatch tadpoles. It's getting the little, bogey sized fukkers that emerge from the water to live to thumbnail size.

That's 'Captive Breeding'

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

24 minutes ago, eastcoast said:

I made a makeshift vivarium when I 1st started collecting small things  Another mistake I made, male bank voles and shrews will fight to the death if you try and keep them together. 

  Voles are absolute fukking savages! I too made the youthful mistake of popping what clearly must have been a male in my collecting box, with another male.

Fukk Sake!!! It was like a bucket of water on a flaming chip pan! Instantaneous! NO fukking puffing their chests out and shouting, " Come On Then!!! "

Fukking things feet hit the floor and they were at it! Screaming, screeching and scrabbling. Bouncing off the fukking walls at each other!

Think I just tipped them both out. No fukking way I was putting my hand in there.

 

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

1 minute ago, W. Katchum said:

Would you feed toads on food straight from garden or then daft worms an crickets

I feed mealworms and crickets, mainly. But, it's all about what you feed the feed

Another one, as much for all round amusement value as anything; Get a margarine tub. Dig a pencil through the top. Put a handful of maggots or pupae in there.

Flies hatch and start heading for the light. Crawling out of that hole. You'd be amazed at how quickly half a dozen toads will learn to hang around that tub. Climbing up and treading on each others faces, to grab those emerging flies!

Like I say; I doubt the nutritional value of un fed flies. But, it's great fun. Unless you're one of the flies!

[gnipper 5,945]

I've kept axolotls, clawed frogs, horned frogs and a leopard frog before but I always fancied an African or American bullfrog. Is it Pixicephalus adspersus the Latin name? Big green thing that eats everything. My missus is terrified of frogs though. 

[forest of dean redneck 11,190]

If you like sound of frogs toads etc keep your eye out for tokay geckos great display lizard not good for handling 

 

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

Tokay's? Er, Naah, thanks!

John had a twisted finger. All bent out of shape at the end. Tokay did that. He compared it to an Alsatians bite.

Fukk Those Things!!!

[eastcoast 3,729]

My 1st newt came from a pet shop. An Asian newt it was described as. Not sure what it actually was. About the size of a Great Crested, black with orange and black spotted belly. Some older lads from my estate heard about it and turned up with a bucket of Playmate newts for sale at 5p each. I agreed to buy some if they showed me where they got them from. 

We went off on an expedition. A tiny secret clean pond on the outskirts of filthy industry. On the way the mixed pack of mongrels that accompanied them found, flushed and hunted a rabbit. That started my fascination with hunting dogs.

[forest of dean redneck 11,190]

19 minutes ago, Ken's Deputy said:

Tokay's? Er, Naah, thanks!

John had a twisted finger. All bent out of shape at the end. Tokay did that. He compared it to an Alsatians bite.

Fukk Those Things!!!

I owned a pair for a bit and they had laid eggs on side of their viv, it was a large bedside cabinet glass door converted type an I loved it in evening when light changed an they become active , they got very aggressive after the eggs were laid , I would dust a tub of crickets crack the lid open an throw the whole tub in

[dytkos 17,536]

I used to have a pet newt. I called him Tiny because he was my newt.

Cheers, D.

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

15 minutes ago, dytkos said:

I used to have a pet newt. I called him Tiny because he was my newt.

Kunt.

[bell 3,503]

5 hours ago, Ken's Deputy said:

Pond? I've got lakes and rivers available! But, no, the very essence of Captive Breeding is that it's done in captivity. And you'd be fukking Amazed at how captive that can be!

Fire Salamanders? Had a pair in a little tank I knocked up. Foot square. Six inches high? Split diagonally for water and land areas. I fukking stood there and watched the most incredibly sensuous mating ritual take place, right before my eyes. On the dining table their little tank lived on.

Fukkers spawned in there. And I raised a good batch of baby salamanders from it.

Had toads of various types, breeding themselves to a stand still in tanks with probably less than two gallons of water.

Dunno what it is. Things just like to fukk, I guess? Though, saying that? Only case I ever heard of, of anyone breeding B. viridus? They basically had a huge, densely vegetated greenhouse. Fukkers were in there. But, they hardly ever saw them. What good's that?

But, then? I know a bloke, bred Skylarks (Yes. You read that right!) in a standard little breeding aviary. What are they? Four foot wide. Eight long. Six high?

Reckons the fukking bird would do the whole aerial display flight / song thing. At about five and a half feet!!!  Can you fukking Imagine That?!? Blows my fukking mind, completely!

But, yeah. Basically, it's amazing what one can achieve. We just need to follow certain protocols that trigger the right responses.

The toad, living under that discarded, broken flower pot at the bottom of the garden? He has absolutely No concept of the greater environment around him. He's never been told about the birds and the bees.

His little, toady, hormones tell him what he has to do. I just provide a comfortable environment for him until they kick in. Then ensure his quest ends successfully.

Must admit; That's where the fukking hard work kicks in! Any school kid can hatch tadpoles. It's getting the little, bogey sized fukkers that emerge from the water to live to thumbnail size.

That's 'Captive Breeding'

Wow, no way would I imagine you could captive breed Skylark !......they seem one of the wildest untameable birds that ever lived !.....just had a quick search and yes, there it is ........not sure it sits well.....skylark for me is a bird 100 foot in the air parachuting in singing its head off.