Paul McCleary
09-08-02, 02:07 AM
Bufo marinus ssp.
"Alice" (from Louis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland') was truly surreal in size. She and a number of others were collected from a locale in deepest/darkest Suriname renowned for its' population of these outsized toads. The zoological collector funnelled some of them to the N.R.B.E. in Orlando in 1993 where a friend purchased several and exported them to Ontario. While she established well (all were immediately treated for endoparasites), her accompanying mate perished quite quickly. Sadly, a replacement male was similarly anorexic and fragile.
Alice was a bold and sturdy toad, capable of eating more than a dozen live, adult mice at once sitting! When I first received her, she did have some minor abrasions on the soles of her feet - these quickly healed. Although collected as a large adult, she appeared to be vigorous and I anticipated that she would enjoy considerable longevity. Unfortunately, my facility suffered a break-in and though she was left undisturbed, the burglars left a door open and the cold, night air of late-November likely chilled her - she died shortly afterwards. Fortunately, the culprits were caught and sent to jail...
"Alice" (from Louis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland') was truly surreal in size. She and a number of others were collected from a locale in deepest/darkest Suriname renowned for its' population of these outsized toads. The zoological collector funnelled some of them to the N.R.B.E. in Orlando in 1993 where a friend purchased several and exported them to Ontario. While she established well (all were immediately treated for endoparasites), her accompanying mate perished quite quickly. Sadly, a replacement male was similarly anorexic and fragile.
Alice was a bold and sturdy toad, capable of eating more than a dozen live, adult mice at once sitting! When I first received her, she did have some minor abrasions on the soles of her feet - these quickly healed. Although collected as a large adult, she appeared to be vigorous and I anticipated that she would enjoy considerable longevity. Unfortunately, my facility suffered a break-in and though she was left undisturbed, the burglars left a door open and the cold, night air of late-November likely chilled her - she died shortly afterwards. Fortunately, the culprits were caught and sent to jail...