Natural vs controlled environment

[bramblebun]

Hi,

Just thinking (the biologist part of my mind (MSc in conservation)), many of us keep various wild caught and captive bred animals and try to stimulate there natural environment. How far should people go in this, especially for wild caught animals? Should we try to stimulate seasons, weather etc or just find one climate suitable for the breed and just stick to one temperature, humidity etc? What's best for the animals involved as opposed to our budgets, time etc? Also is the reason many amphibian breeders try to replicate the wild just because there's more change of the animal breeding or is it for the animals welfare? This can apply to other animals as well as frogs...

Claire

ps I thinking on a more academic/theoretical level rather than anyone criticising how anyone else keeps there animals

[tjtreefrog]

I believe that frogs will do well at only one temperature, level of humidity, etc. The reason breeders try to replicate natural conditions is because several species require specific keys or changes in the weather in order to breed. This is the same for other amphibians as well as frogs. An example would be like a period of dry condition followed by a period of wet conditions. In the wild in several places, there is a dry season which is not suitable for raising tadpoles, but this will be followed by a rainy season, in which conditions are perfect for laying eggs and raising tadpoles. Frogs are programmed to recognize these changes so they will breed only at times when conditions are optimum, and often won't breed if these conditions aren't simulated in captivity.

[Leefrogs]

Kind of realitive, I notice my frogs know when there's a cold snap comming. Usually they goof around before soaking. But on nights it's going to be20 below, they go streight to water within 10 minutes of lights out. Dispite temps in cage or in house. So they have a sence of pressure changes, so in summer if it's storming, I'm going to try and reflect that by misting more. To me it's odvious they instinctually know weather effects and I want to reinforce that in their little world, just not sure how to do that in winter.