Toad species/mixing need clarification

[stickytoes]

Hi John,
In the "Toad Basic Care" section, you stated:
"Such a container could comfortably house at least 2 of any US or European species with the exception of..."
I have a Texas toad that I'd like to house with some other toads. From what you've stated, it's alright to mix toad species? If my understanding is correct, which species would you recommend housing with a Texas toad? Thanks.
~Lauren
That is not what my statement means. I do not advise mixing frog and toad species. Aside from the fact that they can give each other any parasites and diseases they are carrying (and most wild toads have parasites), different sized toads can and will eat each other. Also, each species of toad is different in terms of attitude and habit - some are more shy than others and can be easily intimidated and stressed by being forced to live with other species.
So what did you mean by at least 2 toads of American/European species? Does this mean I can only house my Texas toad with other Texas toads? What about another American species? If they're all quarantined and treated prior to being housed together, similar in size, and I keep them well-fed, what issues would I run into? Thanks.
I actually have to go out of town in a minute - please post your questions on the forum, that's why it's there.

So here I am with the same question. Can anyone clarify this for me?

[SludgeMunkey]

American toads are gape-limited opportunistic predators. That is a fancy way of saying they will eat anything they can get in their mouths especially if it is a different species. There are a multitude of reasons why you should not mix species but I feel this is the most important.

[stickytoes]

Yes, I understand that, but that still doesn't address why I couldn't keep a few of the same size together. I used to keep many American toads and I had 3 tanks: babies, young adult, and full-grown and I never encountered any problems. That said, as far as diseases/parasites, if all are treated before being housed together, is there still a risk of trans-species spread of disease? I'm not an inexperienced keeper and know how important it is to keep these guys well-fed so they don't turn on each other. I frequently observe same tank frog interaction. I've never had a problem.

[Kurt]

Hopefully, I can clarify things for you. Only house toads together that are very close in size and are of the same species. Doesn't matter where they came from. Stick to singular species enclosures and keep them similar in size, and you should be ok.

[stickytoes]

John said the same thing, but I'm one of those people who likes to know why. I understand the bit about not wanting to stress the animals by housing them with different species, but I'd like to know more about cross-species disease transfer. Like I said before, if each toad is quarantined and treated before interacting with other toads, is it possible for disease to spread? Also, isn't it possible to see how two species from the same geographical location interact for some time? I keep a close eye on my guys and I make each move very carefully. I haven't had any problems with this in the past and I'm wondering what the big hype is about.

[stickytoes]

Just in case this comes up, I also understand that if I housed 2 similar sized toads together for some time and one grows bigger than the other in the end, they'd need to be housed separately from that point on. So specifically, my question isn't about size (I comprehend that aspect) but about species, similar species even. I just want to know if there's an exception to the "rule," because there usually is.