The Woods Vivarium

[AAronCap]

An update on the toads, plants, business meetings, and more...

Before I start this update post on the upcoming 225 gallon (96x18x30), I just wanted to explain what I am trying to accomplish from an educational and entertaining perspective. I am pursuing a research degree in herpetology to work with my favorite animals frogs! My specific interest is in northeastern species especially the American toad, wood frog, and gray tree frog. I want to research reproduction, relationship, and habitat/behavior of these frogs and toad. I am very invested in the climate of the northeast with the diverse ecosystems and I am hard at work with conservation of these species as a citizen scientist and college student.

I am very interested in working with and conserving the habitat just as much as the animals and I might minor or dabble in bog plants and conservation for bogs and wetlands. I am very interested in the plants and the invertebrates that are vital to the frogs and toads. I see so many incredible places, and get excited observing some plants and invertebrates almost as much as the frogs and toads. I believe the creatures I'm passionate about are misunderstood and if people could see them up close and develop a relationship with them they would care and maybe have a new perspective.

I have a history of public speaking, video work, and even own a YouTube channel that I used at first to share my pets with the world just for fun. But then I started a conservation project I called "Frog Week" and realized that there is so much more that I can do while still enjoying my pet frogs. Since I have been working on the conservation project I realized how I could create stories to share with you and the world about the creatures and ecosystem that I am drawn to. I already had many pieces to create something special, so I kept thinking about how I could utilize my rescued pet toads and incorporate them into a captive based conservation project. I've been trying to deworm my toads for 3 years to eventually get them all together and live in a decently sized enclosure like they used to live together in before, and as I've been seeing progress in their health and my vision I got the idea to create this project.

This project is aimed at education and entertainment for viewers and readers to observe these creatures in a different perspective. BBC America's Planet Earth and YouTube channel Antscanada created a lot of inspiration for the construction of this project. One goal is to get people to care about an animal that has a name and personality and tell that animal's story. My project will focus on all of the plants and animals in the setup and that make the exhibit's ecosystem fluid, but it will also focus on my female American toad Ace. I think she could be the perfect representative of her species because of her personality and her story. She's been through so much. The fight to save her life a few years ago was the final push I needed to officially pursue herpetology and I haven't looked back. I'll save some of the details about this story for closer to when I am constructing the enclosure.

This is just an introduction for new readers and a clearer description and refresher for returning readers. Now on with the update. It will be sorta shorter because of the refresher up top.

Finally my toads all have soil and are looking to be parasite free completely. The two males Pious and Wellsboro pictured together are parasite free and will go in August for most likely the last test to confirm they are parasite free. They are doing well.

Navi has soil and she's looking beautiful and better now. She's been the worst with parasites but I'm hoping that changes. She has to still have 3 tests come back negative before the final one to certify she is healthy and can join the boys. She's got the farthest to go.

Ace has I believe one or two negative tests so she's much closer to being free of the parasites that almost killed her, and getting ready to receive her 225 gallon. She will not join the other toads when she's healthy until they all enter the 225 gallon because she's a little bit greedy and I can feed everyone better in a big tank than a smaller temporary tank. I've learned when Ace is in a smaller space she doesn't share but in a larger space she is easier going.

All the toads have a vet appointment August 5th which will determine many factors. Let's hope for all negative fecal tests so things can move forward for these toads.

As I stated above I care about the invertebrates and plants as well. Queen Laurel my queen carpenter ant is still thriving with larvae and eggs. She's going to contribute mightily to the exhibit's ecosystem when her colony establishes. I'll have to get a picture of her soon!

The blueberry bushes have blueberries on them! I am hopeful that I can grow native blueberry bushes in the setup because they are one of my favorite native plants and it's a super food for the vivarium inhabitants. Many of the other plants are doing well, but there are some plants I'm keeping a secret from telling you because I want to have some excited and surprise when this project is up and running.

I have meetings with Josh's Frogs and a northeastern plant nursery that propogates native species coming up soon.

Josh's Frogs and MistKing have supported and donated to this project with some cool stuff. I am looking for investors and supporters in this captive conservation project.

I have made my decision to use two BlackMagic Pocket 6K Cinema Cameras to film the action. The Laowa Cine 24mm Probe lens and Laowa 15mm Macro lens will be two of the three primary lenses. I'm hoping to get the Canon 18-80mm servo lens to use. These three lenses on a 6K camera will showcase breathtaking scenes fot this upcoming story.

More information coming soon!

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