# Temperate Amphibian Glass House



## calv07

I am setting up a large Temperate Amphibian Glass House (25'L 10'W 8'H approx). I have a good idea of how to set it up in terms of ponds, planting etc, but i am just looking for any additional tips that anyone may have that may help me.

Thanks


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## Morgan Freeman

Indoors?


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## fatlad69

Temperate? How cold is your house morg?


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## calv07

Yeah its outdoors.


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## Morgan Freeman

fatlad69 said:


> Temperate? How cold is your house morg?



I thought it may be in a conservatory.


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## calv07

Its like a conservatory but unattached from any other buildings. I will try and get some pictures on here tomorrow.


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## fatlad69

Morgan Freeman said:


> I thought it may be in a conservatory.


Ahhh, never thought of that. My bad!:lol2:


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## agreendream

haha He did say in the first text it's 25 feet long! Not many houses with that much spare floor space lol

Is it going to be a pollytunnel?

I look forward the development and pictures of this project!!


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## calv07

Pictures of the Temperate Glass House as it currently stands. I will add more pictures as it develops. Confirmed species that i am housing are:
_S.s. terrestis_
_Bombina variegata _
_Triturus marmoratus_
_Triturus dobrogicus _
_Pelophylax ridibundus_
_Hyla arborea_


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## agreendream

My God!!!

Put a hammock up in there and I will pay you rent!

Want any help landscaping it?


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## colinm

I am very jealous :mf_dribble:Be a bit cafeful with the species that you choose.The caudates like cooler temperatures than the frogs and toads.I wonder whether it will get too hot in there for them ?
Regarding the frogs and toads I would not keep Marsh Frogs with the others ,they grow too large and will eat the other amphibians,generally keep away from Green Frogs in communal vivaria.Treefrogs are lovely but they make such a racket it looks like you are in the country so that shouldn`t be a problem.
If I had that space I would try Green Toads,European Fire Bellied Toads,Midwife Toads,and some small lizards.Wall Lizards are nice and active but you have to make sure that the greenhouse is very escapeproof or maybe even some Green Lizards although they may prey on some of the smaller species.
Have you considered North American species they are more readily available than the European Species?
You will need quite a few of each species as some will die and you will not be able to see them all all of the time. It is probably best to build them up slowly as some species will do better than others for no apparent reason.
It may be worth considering dividing the greenhouse in two in order that you can create two different environments.
One last thought on what axis is the greenhouse?i hope that it will not get too hot in the summer.


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## samurai

I was thinking something like that would be nice the other day (in my dreams), its gonna be amazing!!!!! can't wait to see how it progresses :mf_dribble:


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## calv07

Thanks for the input. Im still in design mode in terms of the interior. There is certainly a bit of scope to have divided enclosures and the plan is to have a range of habitats where possible. We are having a ventilation system put in as the heat during the summer was an issue for me. This is one of three glass houses we have (the other two are going to be Tropical and Savannah themed) and is actually a lot more shaded than the pictures suggest. We are also going to have a system in place that we can open the doors and not have any problem with escapees, just so we can get some UV in as well as the fresh air. If i cant get away with separate areas for the amphibians then i may give the Marsh frogs a miss...the Treefrogs wont be a problem because we are in the middle of no where. Any and all tips are appreciated.


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## soundstounite

beautiful build mate,stunning:notworthy:.i also think temperature variation and ventilation will be your biggest issues can't see from your stunning pics., do you have any vents installed.We are slowly trying to convert a greenhouse to maintain a constant tropical temp whether i will be able to keep darts in there as we dream only time will tell,fistly it is for our "darty" type plants.At present the temp is varing hugely between 6& 90 degrees, i have installed a massive water tank aprox 1/4 of the floor area this i hope will act as a heat sink,the water being pumped through a heat exchanger in the top of the g.h.so cooling in the day warming at night.dont know if it will work, time will tell. you can also get vents for the roof thar open automatically,but evenso we have worked under glass and it gets damn hot when the sun is shinning, suggest max/min thermometer, hope this is of some use regards Stu&Shaz ps,maybe some tunnels deep enough into the floor to resist freezing for hibernation purposes seeya


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## calv07

Tunnels are on the agenda. Its an idea i have seen use don a smaller scale. Vents are all being installed so im hoping the potential temperature problem will be sorted. Also, we have some large reservoirs to the side of each glass house which all store rain water....these are going to be rigged to a sprinkler system for each of the glass houses....hopefully will help with the temperature issue and also should encourage a bit of breeding.


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## deaxone

just commenting so i get updates in my user cp realy,
im realy looking forward to seeing how this pans out,
good luck m8


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## badboiboom

this is an absolute brilliant project 
one problem... WE NEED MORE PICTURES!!!!! : )
is there a large water area/pond ?.. if so, some axies would be cool,, or maybe get a few tiger salamanders and try to natural(ish) breed them.. :L

it might help to talk to Pollywog, i think he's successfully bred ambystoma tigrinum before, correct me if im wrong..


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## serpentsupplies

get some green toads in there. alex m is the man to speak to regarding them! best species ever


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## calv07

There is going to be two ponds in there (one specifically for newts and one for general amphibian use) as well as some small "puddle" areas......and also a stream...i hope. The axolotls and Tiger Salamanders wont go too well with the Temperate theme and id like to try and keep to the European species. I am certainly after some Green Toads. Alex M has been in contact with me and as soon as some of his animals are out and about he is going to get in contact. If anyone has any other European Anurans available i would be interested to know. Thanks.


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## Alex M

serpentsupplies said:


> get some green toads in there. alex m is the man to speak to regarding them! best species ever


You cheeky little s*d ha-ha-ha! 

(Mark thinks i'm obsessed with this species, hence his use of the exclamation mark. If he tells anyone a story where i bought the toads individual Christmas presents i can categorically state it is absolute nonsense). 

Calvin, as soon as my European species start breeding etc i will let you know, it's generally quite early in the season but have got a couple of species of caudata starting to spawn - i will keep you updated.

Cheers
Al


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## philbaines

calv07....You won the lottery mate?

Thumbs up on the idea tho mate! will be good if you did a step by step build thread


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## calv07

Haha...sadly not. If i had id be able to afford to heat it!
I will keep up to date with photos as much as possible...i am planning on doing some work on it next week so keep checking.


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## Ron Magpie

Seems like you have the temperature/ventilation issues in hand- which would be my only concern. :censor::censor: jealous, to be honest!:lol2:


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## jennlovesfrogs

WOW is all I can say, can't wait to see progress pics! not at all jealous by the way lol.


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## calv07

Here are some photos of the progress of the glass house. 
Viewing areas have been put in, ventilation fans (which will be attached to a thermostat) have been installed, a tap runs water from an external resevoir that collects rain water and two layers of soil have been added, one "organic" base layer and one naturally composted layer. Different substrates (leaf litter, moss etc) will be added at a later date.





















































http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4504347625_f15c47ec63_m.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4504347673_fb3d34220d_m.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4504347747_9c3ac85bc4_m.j


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## pollywog

Have you thought about hibernacular?


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## calv07

pollywog said:


> Have you thought about hibernacular?


Certainly have. I am going to introduce an underground network of tubes which i have seen used before with some success. Other "frost free" areas will be intorduced aswell.


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## tomwilson

more and more jealous every time i see this lol. glad you're keeping us updated though


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## Morgan Freeman

It's fantastic!

Would love to see that jam packed with broms and big branches covered in moss.


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## colinm

Do you need tubes?I would have thought that if you have enough rubble and plants the herps can burrow down without any problems.In the wild they do not have tubes.It is more about creating a stable cool temperature and the greenhouse should not get too cold unless we have extreme cold weather.
I live high up on the Chilterns and most of my amphibians and reptiles survived the last cold winter with plenty of deep,damp sand and rubble.


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## ipreferaflan

I'm loiking this.


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## calv07

More pics..........ponds in.


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## Avpl

calv07 said:


> More pics..........ponds in.
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Tis truely awesome! I would love to do something like this!:2thumb:


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## jme2049

this is so cool. :no1:


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## calv07

A small start on the landscaping........


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## tomwilson

calv07 said:


> A small start on the landscaping........
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 it really is starting to take shape can't wait to see some plants in there


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## Berber King

Hi Calvin,give me a call at RT next week,as i have adult alpine newts coming in,and possibly green toads (although they will be from egypt).Project looks good.


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## calv07

Ive managed to get hold of some Alpines mate. Im after Green Toads but the Egyptians are probably not going to be cold tolerant enough. Cheers though.


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## rhys s

calv this is amazing i been watching this thread for sometime now and its looking really good.


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## Alex M

calv07 said:


> Ive managed to get hold of some Alpines mate. Im after Green Toads but the Egyptians are probably not going to be cold tolerant enough. Cheers though.


Egyptian viridis are extremely hardy Calvin, they have no problems surviving English winters. Very tough toads. Cheers, Al


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## calv07

Plants in. Hoping in a fortnight the amphibians will be in their new home.































































http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3484/4556828007_e0afa7b02d_m.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/4556828245_5d9c11c73a_m.jpg


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## ipreferaflan

That's awesome. I love the pond. You've done such a good job.


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## Bearnandos

Wow!!! looks terrific!!!
One question...do the ponds have any filtration??


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## Nix

Awesome. What I wouldn't give to have a heated build this size for a colony of day geckos!


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## tomwilson

calv07 said:


> Plants in. Hoping in a fortnight the amphibians will be in their new home.
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looking incredible dude gonna be some happy phibs


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## HerperShort

just one question: how are you going to feed them :whistling2:


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## Punchfish

Yeah thats pretty awesome.


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## calv07

No filters on the ponds. Their going to be crammed with oxygenating plants to keep it as natural as possible. In terms of the feeding, it should be fairly self sustainable. The ponds are full of Daphnia etc and their is a wide variety of inverts in the glass house already. I will supplement with crickets etc if and when necessary.


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## calv07

Some pics of the amphibians that are going in the glass house. Some of the smaller species (alpines etc) will not (in theory) be able to get near the larger species like the Pool frogs when housed. Looking forward to getting them in now, just a little bit of tweaking to do here and there now.









_Bombina variegata_

_Bombina variegata_









_Ichthyosaura alpestris_









_Triturus dobrogicus_









_Alytes obstetricans_








http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4564984287_75e2027e3e_m.jpg
_Triturus marmoratus_









_S.s terrestris_









_Pelophylax lessonae_


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## rhys s

there going to look good in there .


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## mustang100893

AMAZING. Can i come live with you?:notworthy:


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## nessa

wow  i've never seen such a successful diy project  well done, looks amazing :2thumb: your guys are gonna love it


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## angelserz

WOW, this is amazing  Keep up the good work!! Any recent pics?  Lol.


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## Triangulum

Outstanding Project Cav, Will this be lit up at night for viewing when needed?

Scott


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## nickleicester

fantasitic thread!!!:no1: i would love to come and see this oneday


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## Komodo32

Eeerm....WOW!!!!!!!!!! :gasp:

....'Nuff said really!


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## trw

that is amazing. can you keep updating the thread every few weeks after the phibs go in to let everyone know how everything is doing. i really envy you with that


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## cbarnes1987

not an amphib lover but wow! wot a setup! ....subscribed!:notworthy:


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## calv07

Finally...finally i have got animals in the glass house. Yellow bellied Toads, Green Toads, Midwife Toads, Fire Salamanders, Marbled Newts, Alpine Newts and Danube Crested Newts are all doing well. Pool frogs are going in next week. No problems with the temperature. Both of the back door are covered with a mesh screen which in turn provides some good shade as well. Only manged to get pictures of the Yellow bellies and the Green Toads due to the time of day, but will get a pics of the other animals when they decide!!! All is well so far......


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## Ron Magpie

Very stunning indeed- but you knew that!:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Punchfish

Looking fantastic.


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## tomwilson

: victory:looking even beter than i thought it would i like the way the plants have grown out, well done


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## nickleicester

looking good now any plans to put any other animals in ther.

should get some snakes :whistling2:


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## Jezza84

Wow! i want one!


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## jme2049

awesome!


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## rhys s

amazing !:2thumb:


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## samurai

Wow!!! That looks great now. Would be great if you could do a video of it as well :no1:


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## The T Lord

Any updates on this mate? i am considering this on a very much smaller scale
(10x6x8)


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## calv07

I can get some more pics in next week hopefully. Everything is doing really well....Pool frogs and midwife toads are pretty noisy. Im also really happy that most of the amphibs are out and about...you can see the pool frogs, yellow bellies and some of the newt species all the time. Cant see why it wouldn't work on a smaller scale. Ive seen it done before in a standard green house and thats really what inspired be to do it on a larger scale. If i can help at all just give me an email.


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## calv07

Oh and I am going to have a go at setting up "frog cam" so i can catch the amphibs that mostly come out in the evenings. Yes.....i am a geek!!!


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## Ron Magpie

The T Lord said:


> Any updates on this mate? i am considering this on a very much smaller scale
> (10x6x8)


 Yay, you found it! I couldn't remember what the thread was called when you asked.:blush:

@Calv: Geekdom on this scale is an awesome achievement!:2thumb:


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## calv07

More Pics









Pool Frog










Pool Frog Tadpoles










Pool Frogs Tapoles (Right) and Midwife Toad Tadpoles (Left)










Yellow Bellied Toad










Spot the Yellow Bellied Toads...there should be three!!










Another Yellow Bellied Toad










The main "frog" pond










This is the area that the Fire Salamanders tend to hang out










The "newt" pond










The bigger picture










Female Midwife Toad










Success! Male Midwife Toad with eggs. Wahooo










Skills with the camera!!!


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## manda88

This is awesome! It's like your own personal zoo! :2thumb:


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## whale_omelette

tis rather marv i have to say!
if that was me id have butterflies,birds,lizards and all kinds of crazies in there


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## obrowell

I thought you were in the process of moving mate? If so whats the crack with the phib house?


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## whale_omelette

obrowell said:


> I thought you were in the process of moving mate? If so whats the crack with the phib house?


 me? i am moving soonish, dunno when but the next couple of months like.
im gonna pick up another tank next wednesday then ill be quiet on the frog tank front untill i move unfortunately
id love one of these glass houses though!


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## calv07

The amphib house is at work. Im an animal management lecturer and this is one of my student projects.


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## rhys s

its great , looks even better with every picture !


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## colinm

It could do with a few Lacerta !!!!


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## soundstounite

been a great thread calv ,thanks lovely to see all the plants grown in and even better to see your successes with the breeding side


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## calv07

colinm said:


> It could do with a few Lacerta !!!!


I have contemplated the idea of lizards but I think i am going to stick with the amphibs. I am a bit of a frog geek and I am hoping to increase my "tropical" collection next as well.


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## calv07

Decided to make a short video of the frog house to give a bit more of an idea as to whats going on in there. Please excuse my monotone voice!!:lol2:

YouTube - Frog House.MP4


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## rhys s

great video . how do you feed them all in there and also you have spring tails etc in there to keeping it clean . its such a big space to keeping an eye on it all .


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## calv07

rhys s said:


> great video . how do you feed them all in there and also you have spring tails etc in there to keeping it clean . its such a big space to keeping an eye on it all .


Once a week i throw a few handfulls of crickets in there. Generally though there is so much invertebrate life in there....woodlice, slugs etc that they get well fed on the natural stuff. In terms of cleaning I do very little. As you said its such a large area that it does not get overflowed with faeces plus there is all the invertebrate life that breaks it down. I cultivate daphnia for the newts and there is a near by waterbutt that has ample bloodworm. The real test is going to be how they fair over winter. On paper all should be okay though.


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## stewie m

wow this is amazing i love it


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## Bobby D

Calvin you are the man lol You defo have to much time on your hands at BCA to be making Vid's!!!
Its a shame you couldnt get footage of a pool frog basking on that rock like we saw yesterday lol


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## calv07

Bobby D said:


> Calvin you are the man lol You defo have to much time on your hands at BCA to be making Vid's!!!
> Its a shame you couldnt get footage of a pool frog basking on that rock like we saw yesterday lol


That was the plan but they heard me coming!! Maybe get it in my next video!!!lol


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## Bobby D

haha love it!! You dont fancy any more alpine newts do you haha???


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## Bobby D

calv07 said:


> The amphib house is at work. Im an animal management lecturer and this is one of my student projects.


I just like to say im the student lol


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## rhys s

well it seems quite simple to care for and fun as well , what type of glass house you doing next geckos ? a desert


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## calv07

rhys s said:


> well it seems quite simple to care for and fun as well , what type of glass house you doing next geckos ? a desert


This is the only glass house im aloud to get my hands on! We have two others but they are going to be plant only.:sad: 

Next step for this glass house will be to make it treefrog proof and introduce some next year.


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## rhys s

that seems great with the tree frogs , what ones you looking at to put in ?


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## calv07

rhys s said:


> that seems great with the tree frogs , what ones you looking at to put in ?


European greens (_Hyla arborea_). I want to try and stick with the European theme. Hoping I can find European Fire bellied toads and CB Natterjacks next year but I imagine their like hens teeth!!


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## rhys s

that seems great , you really do have the amphibians keepers dream there


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## calv07

rhys s said:


> that seems great , you really do have the amphibians keepers dream there


Thanks very much. I will try and keep everyone posted with any changing events. Maybe a night time video will be the next post!!


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## ipreferaflan

Absolutely brilliant. You've put so much effort into that and it really shows. Well done.


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## ipreferaflan

Whenever someone starts a thread about mixing frogs I'm going to link them to this thread to show them the space you need.


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## calv07

ipreferaflan said:


> Whenever someone starts a thread about mixing frogs I'm going to link them to this thread to show them the space you need.


Thanks for the comments. The space that I have has certainly made the project a lot easier. So far I cant recall any of the occupants eating each other. I have purposely kept the number of individuals small at the moment to see if any of them disappear!! Id be happy to advise anyone who has similar ideas of doing something like this. I know i have certainly learnt a lot in the process.


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## ipreferaflan

calv07 said:


> Thanks for the comments. The space that I have has certainly made the project a lot easier. So far I cant recall any of the occupants eating each other. I have purposely kept the number of individuals small at the moment to see if any of them disappear!! Id be happy to advise anyone who has similar ideas of doing something like this. I know i have certainly learnt a lot in the process.


Yeah for sure. I'm sure it works really well as there is plenty of space. People who want to mix 2 or 3 species in a 45x45x60 exo though... I think they need to see your greenhouse.


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## calv07

ipreferaflan said:


> Yeah for sure. I'm sure it works really well as there is plenty of space. People who want to mix 2 or 3 species in a 45x45x60 exo though... I think they need to see your greenhouse.


Agreed. Glad my glass house could be of help. Certainly attempting this in an exo terra of any size would be interesting!!!!


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## Ron Magpie

Truely awesome!:notworthy:


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## Bobby D

Has Jane from the science building still have that video recorder thing with the screen set up, so you can try and film a at night whilst watching it from inside?? That would be cool, well any night time action in their with sound would be awesome!!!
You looking forward to getting your frogs next week??


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## ginna

OMFG WHERE DO YOU LIVE , WHAT IS THE POST CODE . AND IS THERE ROOM FOR A HAMMOK OR AT LEAST A LILO . I AM SO ENVIOUS OF YOU . IWANT ONE :no1::lol2::notworthy:: victory::mf_dribble:


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## manda88

I think we need an update on this one, Calv :whistling2: I'd be scared of walking in there in case I trod one one of them!


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## calv07

manda88 said:


> I think we need an update on this one, Calv :whistling2: I'd be scared of walking in there in case I trod one one of them!


All is well. There is not to much to report really as everything has gone in to hiding so there is very little activity. There should be a load of activity come March though. I have got paving slabs down for safe places to stand so there should be no fear on stepping on anything. Ill try and take a few pictures soon as the colours of the plants have changed alot as they are getting ready for winter.


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## calv07

Glass House in Autumn. There is still a bit of activity. There is the odd Green and Midwife Toad strolling around and there are still some tadpoles in the pond. Cant wait for next March!!!


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## tomwilson

calv07 said:


> Glass House in Autumn. There is still a bit of activity. There is the odd Green and Midwife Toad strolling around and there are still some tadpoles in the pond. Cant wait for next March!!!
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looking good calv i am insanlry jealous rght now:lol2:


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## richie.b

i love this, im going to build myself one next year proberbly not as posh as yours though :2thumb:
got a 10x8ft greenhouse that i use but fancy something bigger


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## sambridge15

thats looks amazing would love to see a tropical rainforest version of it :2thumb:


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## clownbarb1

any news ???


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## calv07

clownbarb1 said:


> any news ???


Thanks for the interest. Not massive amounts to tell you really. I went and had a look around on Friday and there is not a great deal of activity yet. The whole thing needs a bit of a tidy up, cutting away any plants that suffered over the winter. There is some movement in one pond. There are some monster sized pool frog tadpoles that overwintered and they are now moving around a bit. I am going to have a closer look next week so I shall keep you posted.


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## tomwilson

calv07 said:


> Thanks for the interest. Not massive amounts to tell you really. I went and had a look around on Friday and there is not a great deal of activity yet. The whole thing needs a bit of a tidy up, cutting away any plants that suffered over the winter. There is some movement in one pond. There are some monster sized pool frog tadpoles that overwintered and they are now moving around a bit. I am going to have a closer look next week so I shall keep you posted.


i've been waiting for this thread to surface once spring sets in, can't wait for the little guys to come out again


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## calv07

It is looking as though this thread can get up and running again.

Here is the first sighting of the year.....


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## manda88

Wicked! Is that one on top of another? :gasp: Positively pornographic!
Was going to PM you the other day, how are the mossys getting on?


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## calv07

manda88 said:


> Wicked! Is that one on top of another? :gasp: Positively pornographic!
> Was going to PM you the other day, how are the mossys getting on?


Not sure what your looking at Manda but there is only one taod in this picture lol. 

The mossys are doing well, all are in togther and there has been a bit of amplexus but not eggs as of yet. Very vocal as usual, so I am still hoping.


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## manda88

calv07 said:


> Not sure what your looking at Manda but there is only one taod in this picture lol.
> 
> The mossys are doing well, all are in togther and there has been a bit of amplexus but not eggs as of yet. Very vocal as usual, so I am still hoping.


Haha ignore me, I'm being stupid, it's cos the reflection of it's face on the water looked like another toad!!
Great to hear the mossys are all doing well! Fingers crossed for some eggs soon, I'm shocked at the 'a bit of amplexus', I'd have thought Yoshi would have never let go of a female once he saw one! :lol2:


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## Bug_Juice

So glad this thread is back and spring is on the way - I am sure there are lot of us who would love to have something like this but just don't have the space/money/time etc.


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## calv07

Some up to date pictures for you folks.


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## jme2049

Looking amazing. How do they feed? Do you just throw a load of bugs in for them a few times a week of are there loads of insects living in there aswell?

Awesome


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## calv07

jme2049 said:


> Looking amazing. How do they feed? Do you just throw a load of bugs in for them a few times a week of are there loads of insects living in there aswell?
> 
> Awesome


It gets on with itself really. There is a whole community of invertebrate life to keep them all well fed. I keep on top of how much daphnia there is in the ponds but apart from that it is all pretty much self sustainable


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## richie.b

Nice, ive just sorted my greenhouse out and put the new residence in. Will have to get some pics up over the weekend. Not as good as your though i must say. :2thumb:


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## calv07

richie.b said:


> Nice, ive just sorted my greenhouse out and put the new residence in. Will have to get some pics up over the weekend. Not as good as your though i must say. :2thumb:


Nice. Look forward to seeing it. What have you got in there?


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## richie.b

calv07 said:


> Nice. Look forward to seeing it. What have you got in there?


Ive not really finished it yet need to add a few more logs and branches and things. Ive only got pool frogs and yellow bellied toads at the moment, ill be on the lookout this summer for more species. Im going to build a few more outdoor enclosures when i get chance. I want one for bufo viridis when i get some : victory:


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## calv07

richie.b said:


> Ive not really finished it yet need to add a few more logs and branches and things. Ive only got pool frogs and yellow bellied toads at the moment, ill be on the lookout this summer for more species. Im going to build a few more outdoor enclosures when i get chance. I want one for bufo viridis when i get some : victory:


Sounds good. I've got some young alpine newts your welcome to have once i've rounded them up. I'm after some European Fire bellies if you come across any.


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## richie.b

calv07 said:


> Sounds good. I've got some young alpine newts your welcome to have once i've rounded them up. I'm after some European Fire bellies if you come across any.


Thats very kind of you, Bombina Bombina dont see those much wouldnt mind some myself ill have to ask around see whats about. Its suprising how big the list is for things that can be kept all year around in greenhouses and such. Im going to add some Hyla Arborea as well. 
I only used to use the greenhouse in the summer for breeding whites treefrogs and white lipped but thought it would be put to better use this way, and i like the idea that you can pretty much let them get on with it all year :2thumb:


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## calv07

I think in total I have 3 species of newt, 3 species of toad, 1 species of frog and 1 species of salamander in the glass house. They are about if you look hard enough. I'd really like to give a North American version a go as well at some point. I'll keep an eye out if I come across any other species and let you know.


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## jme2049

calv07 said:


> It gets on with itself really. There is a whole community of invertebrate life to keep them all well fed. I keep on top of how much daphnia there is in the ponds but apart from that it is all pretty much self sustainable


Sweet. Sounds brilliant.


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## Alex M

richie.b said:


> Nice, ive just sorted my greenhouse out and put the new residence in. Will have to get some pics up over the weekend. Not as good as your though i must say. :2thumb:


Are they the Euro species I bred for you mate? - I ask because if so I would love to see how they're doing! And you can be sure I will have more for you this year 

Very nice Calv, really coming on. The obstetricans picture, the green on grey markings are quite interesting, reminds me of another Discoglossid - Pelodytes punctatus. I've just been out in the garden and observed, amongst others, S.s.terrestris, T.a.alpestris and apuanus, E.viridis, A.obstetricans, T.marmoratus, P.waltl, L.boscai, H.arborea, P.kl.esculenta/lessonae/bergari, B.variegata and also P.fuscus - The gardens alive, love this time of year. Good luck with it all!.


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## richie.b

Alex M said:


> Are they the Euro species I bred for you mate? - I ask because if so I would love to see how they're doing! And you can be sure I will have more for you this year
> 
> Very nice Calv, really coming on. The obstetricans picture, the green on grey markings are quite interesting, reminds me of another Discoglossid - Pelodytes punctatus. I've just been out in the garden and observed, amongst others, S.s.terrestris, T.a.alpestris and apuanus, E.viridis, A.obstetricans, T.marmoratus, P.waltl, L.boscai, H.arborea, P.kl.esculenta/lessonae/bergari, B.variegata and also P.fuscus - The gardens alive, love this time of year. Good luck with it all!.


Hi Al, no didnt put these in there yet theyre still abit small and would know doubt vanish down the poolfrogs mouth, ill get pics later for you when i do my greenhouse thread : victory:

Thats a nice collection Calv, where did you get that lot from


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## calv07

Alex M said:


> Are they the Euro species I bred for you mate? - I ask because if so I would love to see how they're doing! And you can be sure I will have more for you this year
> 
> Very nice Calv, really coming on. The obstetricans picture, the green on grey markings are quite interesting, reminds me of another Discoglossid - Pelodytes punctatus. I've just been out in the garden and observed, amongst others, S.s.terrestris, T.a.alpestris and apuanus, E.viridis, A.obstetricans, T.marmoratus, P.waltl, L.boscai, H.arborea, P.kl.esculenta/lessonae/bergari, B.variegata and also P.fuscus - The gardens alive, love this time of year. Good luck with it all!.


Are you trying to make me jealous?lol. That is some garden you have there. I have T.marmoratus, T dobrogicus,T.a.alpestris, P.lessonae, A.obstetricans, B.variegata, B.viridis and S.s.terrestris all of which I have seen in the last couple of weeks. I did have a group of 5 P.waltl that I was considering putting in but I was a bit worried that they would end up eating many of the smaller newts. Have you got any pics of your garden?


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## calv07

richie.b said:


> Hi Al, no didnt put these in there yet theyre still abit small and would know doubt vanish down the poolfrogs mouth, ill get pics later for you when i do my greenhouse thread : victory:
> 
> Thats a nice collection Calv, where did you get that lot from


Here there and everywhere really. Some came off a few wholesaler lists, some from private breeders. It was a matter of luck as to what came about and when. Think I may have to go and spend this morning having a rummage about and see what I can find. More than happy to keep an eye out for you mate (just as long as I dont want the animals myself lol)


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## Alex M

calv07 said:


> Are you trying to make me jealous?lol. That is some garden you have there. I have T.marmoratus, T dobrogicus,T.a.alpestris, P.lessonae, A.obstetricans, B.variegata, B.viridis and S.s.terrestris all of which I have seen in the last couple of weeks. I did have a group of 5 P.waltl that I was considering putting in but I was a bit worried that they would end up eating many of the smaller newts. Have you got any pics of your garden?


 
Really looking forward to your greenhouse thread, Richie (and helping you fill it if you wish mate).


Hi Calvin, I will get some pictures for you - To be honest I find it a pain uploading them onto RFUK so only do it occasionally. My friends on here would see more of those on Facebook, but I've still got alot more pictures to take. Must stress that they're not wild, they're in a variety of different enclosures ranging from the giant koi vats to modified aquariums etc - The gardens pretty full to say the least, Ben W from this forum has seen it. Regarding the Pleurodeles, you are wise to exercise caution with them, they will eat smaller newts, their own eggs and other newts eggs so it's best to keep them seperate, but if the greenhouse pond is big enough/well planted in sections of the pond then you will find that you'll get a few things make it to morphing, though as I say there are a few species on your list that waltl will eat as adults i.e alpestris and dobrogicus (depends which subspecies of dobrogicus you have though). Best kept seperate


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## calv07

Alex M said:


> Really looking forward to your greenhouse thread, Richie (and helping you fill it if you wish mate).
> 
> 
> Hi Calvin, I will get some pictures for you - To be honest I find it a pain uploading them onto RFUK so only do it occasionally. My friends on here would see more of those on Facebook, but I've still got alot more pictures to take. Must stress that they're not wild, they're in a variety of different enclosures ranging from the giant koi vats to modified aquariums etc - The gardens pretty full to say the least, Ben W from this forum has seen it. Regarding the Pleurodeles, you are wise to exercise caution with them, they will eat smaller newts, their own eggs and other newts eggs so it's best to keep them seperate, but if the greenhouse pond is big enough/well planted in sections of the pond then you will find that you'll get a few things make it to morphing, though as I say there are a few species on your list that waltl will eat as adults i.e alpestris and dobrogicus (depends which subspecies of dobrogicus you have though). Best kept seperate


I think I may stay clear of the waltl for now. I've got a mate who I am hoping is going to sort me out with some Banded newts and I would be devastated if they got munched. Can you keep me up to date if and when you have any species available? I (like Richie) am always on the look out for new species and increasing the species numbers that I already have. May even be possible that I can collect from you if that makes life easier.


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## Alex M

richie.b said:


> Hi Al, no didnt put these in there yet theyre still abit small and would know doubt vanish down the poolfrogs mouth, ill get pics later for you when i do my greenhouse thread : victory:
> 
> Thats a nice collection Calv, where did you get that lot from


 
If they're Pool frogs that came from me, then you'll find that rather than lessonae, they will turn out to kl.esculenta - and very pretty ones at that pal! A very nice green with the famous yellow stripe - Mine are making a racket as we speak... It's been extremely hot here today in this suntrap part of the country, which is of course making the outdoor anurans very vocal indeed!. Can't wait to see the pics of your greenhouse (and the thread of course mate )

Cheers
Al


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## Alex M

calv07 said:


> I think I may stay clear of the waltl for now. I've got a mate who I am hoping is going to sort me out with some Banded newts and I would be devastated if they got munched. Can you keep me up to date if and when you have any species available? I (like Richie) am always on the look out for new species and increasing the species numbers that I already have. May even be possible that I can collect from you if that makes life easier.


 
I sure will Calv - I may actually post some ads in the classifieds this year. There won't be much on the caudate front, except maybe some (and there'll be very few if any) Lissotriton boscai which may or may not survive in your outdoor greenhouse depending on certain factors. Apologies if you already know this but they prefer very clean clear water and are susceptible to poor water quality, and also they do not hibernate (they are active during the winter, which is their breeding season in their native Iberia). They do aestivate though during the hottest months, but overall are not suited to the UK climate like several other species endemic to Iberia. I will (or can) have lots of different frogs etc, but have generally decided this year to let the outdoor species do their own thing other than the normal routines I have with them.

Cheers
Al


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## Alex M

Btw Richie - To add to the above post I sent you, the kl.esculenta are of the correct chromosomes to allow fertile eggs mate, so you will get young from them when they eventually breed


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## calv07

Alex M said:


> I sure will Calv - I may actually post some ads in the classifieds this year. There won't be much on the caudate front, except maybe some (and there'll be very few if any) Lissotriton boscai which may or may not survive in your outdoor greenhouse depending on certain factors. Apologies if you already know this but they prefer very clean clear water and are susceptible to poor water quality, and also they do not hibernate (they are active during the winter, which is their breeding season in their native Iberia). They do aestivate though during the hottest months, but overall are not suited to the UK climate like several other species endemic to Iberia. I will (or can) have lots of different frogs etc, but have generally decided this year to let the outdoor species do their own thing other than the normal routines I have with them.
> 
> Cheers
> Al


If you could let me know if you get any viridis or bombina bombina available then I would certainly be interested, even if it is just spawn/tadpoles and I could maybe come and collect it/them.


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## Alex M

calv07 said:


> If you could let me know if you get any viridis or bombina bombina available then I would certainly be interested, even if it is just spawn/tadpoles and I could maybe come and collect it/them.


Viridis will not be a problem, any specific locality? The greeks are particularly stunning, the Italians also - If you got your other viridis from Eurorep I have a feeling yours will be Italian. R.e B.bombina - This is one species that I think I've lost this winter, I discovered one dead recently but it seems the 16 years they'd spent in a warm greenhouse to being moved fully outside did not agree with them. Especially frustrating as they were on loan from a friend in an effort to breeding them this year. I do know Marc @ Dartfrog has some on his list, £30 a pop - But to be fair they're not a particularly easy species to acquire, as you've obviously been finding out mate. But yes, I will give you a shout on the viridis front soon, they tend to start spawning late May minimum.

Cheers
Al


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## calv07

Alex M said:


> Viridis will not be a problem, any specific locality? The greeks are particularly stunning, the Italians also - If you got your other viridis from Eurorep I have a feeling yours will be Italian. R.e B.bombina - This is one species that I think I've lost this winter, I discovered one dead recently but it seems the 16 years they'd spent in a warm greenhouse to being moved fully outside did not agree with them. Especially frustrating as they were on loan from a friend in an effort to breeding them this year. I do know Marc @ Dartfrog has some on his list, £30 a pop - But to be fair they're not a particularly easy species to acquire, as you've obviously been finding out mate. But yes, I will give you a shout on the viridis front soon, they tend to start spawning late May minimum.
> 
> Cheers
> Al


That would be really helpful if you can keep me posted on the viridis. I have three individuals in my glass house at the moment but not sure on locality. I can get a pic and you might be able to help me out with that. I have seen the bombina at dartfrog but £30 is a tad much especially as i'm after a group.


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## calv07

Here's a pic of one of the viridis that I have.


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## richie.b

Alex M said:


> If they're Pool frogs that came from me, then you'll find that rather than lessonae, they will turn out to kl.esculenta - and very pretty ones at that pal! A very nice green with the famous yellow stripe - Mine are making a racket as we speak... It's been extremely hot here today in this suntrap part of the country, which is of course making the outdoor anurans very vocal indeed!. Can't wait to see the pics of your greenhouse (and the thread of course mate )
> 
> Cheers
> Al



The pool frogs came from the bloke at pras i bought a load of stuff off him if you remember, they do have a nice yellow stripe though. Ive git 2 nice viridis off you but im desperate for some adults, Ive taken some photos today went to download them and my batteries have gone in the camera typical. I even took some of all the Bufo Bufo tadpoles in my big wildlife pond, and my koi carp, got carried away with the camera :blush: Ill get some batteries tomorrow and stick them up. And sorry Calv for hyjacking your thread :notworthy:

cheers
Richie


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## calv07

richie.b said:


> The pool frogs came from the bloke at pras i bought a load of stuff off him if you remember, they do have a nice yellow stripe though. Ive git 2 nice viridis off you but im desperate for some adults, Ive taken some photos today went to download them and my batteries have gone in the camera typical. I even took some of all the Bufo Bufo tadpoles in my big wildlife pond, and my koi carp, got carried away with the camera :blush: Ill get some batteries tomorrow and stick them up. And sorry Calv for hyjacking your thread :notworthy:
> 
> cheers
> Richie


Not a problem mate. It's all of interest to me. Ken Haynes is the name of the man at PRAS who you got your Pool frogs off. I got my adult Pools and a few other bits and bobs off him in the past.


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## richie.b

calv07 said:


> Not a problem mate. It's all of interest to me. Ken Haynes is the name of the man at PRAS who you got your Pool frogs off. I got my adult Pools and a few other bits and bobs off him in the past.



Ken Haynes thats the fella unbelievable amount of stuff he had at pras, you havent got his contact details have you Calv :2thumb:


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## calv07

richie.b said:


> Ken Haynes thats the fella unbelievable amount of stuff he had at pras, you havent got his contact details have you Calv :2thumb:


Certainly do. I'll PM you his number.


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## richie.b

calv07 said:


> Certainly do. I'll PM you his number.



Sorted thank you Calv :2thumb:


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## Slowworm

Out of interest, how many of each species did you introduce to start with, and how many species have shown signs of successful breeding?

Absolutely amazing set up. Where did the midwife toads come from?


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## jampot

This has been my most interest read of 2012 so far, it's incredible! I know I'm bringing it to the top after it's been inactive for so long but people ought to see this.

Fantastic. :notworthy:


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## Cornish-J

Lucky guy! Looks awesome!


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## calv07

Hello all

I dont know who is reading this thread still but I am after a few bits if anyone can help:

Adult Pool Frogs

Adult Natterjack Toads (Mainland Europe Locality) 

Thanks


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## johnc79

How is this setup doing?:2thumb:


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## Stupot1610

How is this doing now?

Stuart


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## firebelliedfreak

I might be thinking of the wrong person, but I think it's been shut down!


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## Stupot1610

Oh no! That's such a shame.


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