European Toad

[Kerry1968]

I saw one of these for sale today in a nearby 'exotics' shop, are they good captives? I feel a little loathe to spend £20 on a toad that I could probably catch in someones garden for free! Or are they different species to the type we find regularly in Britain?

I have read the care sheet about keeping toads, but wondered how much I would actually see a toad if I got one? Would it be buried the majority of the time?

Also the shop that was selling it had a notice that stated they need 'full specrtrum lighting' what does that mean? Sorry if I'm being dumb!

[John]

European Toad is not a name I know. The closest name I can think of is European Green Toad. What does this guy look like? The full spectrum lighting stuff is nonsense. As for care, the "Toad Basics" sticky in this forum area is what you need. I keep a few species of toads (I just caught some Great Plains Toads yesterday too) and I find that adults rarely come out during the main part of the day but I do seem one occasionally at that time. However they are out from before dusk until after dawn. Mine are all central/southern US species which all burrow during the day - European species don't do this much - they are more inclined to use hides if you provide them than the American species I have.

[Kerry1968]

I've looked it up online, basically I was right, it is just a bog standard Common Toad (think it's Bufo bufo).

Think I'll wait to get something a little more exotic!

I have a spare 2 foot tank and I'm desperate to fill it!

I'll probably just wait until I start off with the axie lavae again, I'll have my hands full then anyway.

[John]

That pet shop is breaking the law then as it stands right now - I'd report them for having the cheek to sell a Common Toad as a "European Toad".

[Kurt]

Why is it illegal to sell Bufo bufo in the UK?

[John]

There's a bunch of laws that I can't remember the names of. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits the sale of native wildlife unless the parents themselves were captive bred, not just the offspring. Know anyone captive breeding Bufo bufo in the UK? No? Nobody does. Then there's the Bern Convention and a bunch of other things I can't remember.