Scientific Name: Bufo regularis.
Common Names: Square-marked Toad, African Toad, Egyptian Toad, and Reuss's Toad.
Distribution: Africa ranging across: Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Size: Males: 6-9cm, females: 7-13cm.
Sexing: The males of this species can be heard calling, this is the most reliable way of sexing. The males also tend to have black skin on the throat and during breeding season nuptial pads appear on the first and second fingers. Females have a more rounded body shape and are usually larger than males.
Colouration: The dorsum is a dark grey/brown with irregular darker and lighter markings, some may have a small amount of green present.
Requirements: These toads are rather large individuals and require a fairly large terrarium. A 24x12x15" tank would be adequate for 2 adults, a 36x12x15" could house 3-4 adults. They require a woodland / savannah type set-up with a substrate of bark chips, sandy topsoil, and some moss. Furnishings such as logs, cork bark, rock and sturdy leafed plants can be arranged to provide a number of climbing and hiding places. A large water bowl must be provided with clean de-chlorinated or spring water. Humidity should be kept between 50-65% and the tank will need to be heated to a daytime temperature of 24 - 28°C with a drop at night to 20-22°C. UVB lighting of upto 10% may be provided for a 12-14hr period during the day but if a good supplemented diet is provided then UVB lighting is optional.
Maintenance: Water will need changing daily to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria. Whilst changing the water it is a good idea to spot clean the tank and remove, clean, and replace any soiled items. At least once a month the entire terrarium and it's contents should be striped, cleaned, and sterilized using an amphibian friendly disinfectant.
Feeding: Juvenile Toads should be fed daily with a mixture of suitably sized insects including small crickets and mini-mealworms. The food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement two-three times a week. Adult Toads should be fed every two-three days with a mixture of crickets, regular mealworms, earthworms, flour beetles, waxworms, moths, and caterpillars. The food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement once a week.
