Collecting amphibians

[kueluck]

I guess I just don’t understand how captive, native amphibians can have pathogens that are bad, yet still be healthy and should not be release back from where they came from. Example: I have 14 toad tadpoles in hopes of having a few females to keep, then letting the others go (not for breeding purpose). I also have Cope’s Grays raised from tads last year, and 2 Fowler’s toads, raised from toadlets last year. So releasing any of these would be bad for the population?

[REDDEV1L]

Yup, I totally agree with you John.
That's why I keep everything seperate. The only thing they share with my 'collection' is food from the same sources.
The frogs are kept in the garage, all my exotics kept in my room upstairs.
All utensils (forceps, paintbrushes, sponges, basters, dusting tubs etc) are tank specific apart from the dusting tub was shared downstairs between the adult frogs, their offspring and two of my native toads (who live in the kitchen at the moment) who came from the same pond as the frogs.
The only downside to my set-up is the food is kept upstairs in my room but I expect I do alot more to stop contamination that some others.
(I even have disposable nitrile gloves which I use for single tank use only when cleaning out waterbowls and handling if needs be)

[kueluck]

Ok, back to the topic at hand. Can someone please explain the whole pathogens things with natives to me?

I guess I just don’t understand how captive, native amphibians can have pathogens that are bad, yet still be healthy and should not be release back from where they came from. Example: I have 14 toad tadpoles in hopes of having a few females to keep, then letting the others go (not for breeding purpose). I also have Cope’s Grays raised from tads last year, and 2 Fowler’s toads, raised from toadlets last year. So releasing any of these would be bad for the population?

[UncleChester]

I guess I just don’t understand how captive, native amphibians can have pathogens that are bad, yet still be healthy and should not be release back from where they came from. Example: I have 14 toad tadpoles in hopes of having a few females to keep, then letting the others go (not for breeding purpose). I also have Cope’s Grays raised from tads last year, and 2 Fowler’s toads, raised from toadlets last year. So releasing any of these would be bad for the population?

Consider a pacific chorus frog. You could collect from a disease free and healthy population. It gets exposed to chytrid from your Xenopus despite taking precautions. The chorus frog is visibly fine and can handle this. You release later back where you found it. Blammo.

This is how I understand it anyways. I don't know how many diseases out that can be spread around like this. Since I don't know, it's not something I would personally take a risk on.