Fire-bellied toad

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Fire-bellied toad
European Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina bombina)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bombinatoridae
Genus: Bombina
Oken, 1816
Species

See text.

Fire-bellied toads or Firebelly toads is a group comprising eight species of small toads (most species typically no longer than 1.6 in or 4.1 cm) belonging to the genus Bombina. Common variants of the name 'Fire-bellied toad' include 'firebelly toad' and 'firebellied toad'.

"Fire-bellied" is derived from the brightly coloured red- or yellow-and-black patterns on the toads' ventral regions, which act as aposematic coloration, a warning to predators of the toads' reputedly foul taste. The other parts of the toads' skins are green or dark brown. When confronted with a potential predator, these toads commonly engage in an Unkenreflex, "Unken-" being the combining form of "Unke", German for firebellied toad. In the Unkenreflex, the toad arches its back, raising its front and back legs to display the aposematic coloration of its ventral side.

Species

Listed alphabetically.[1]

  • Bombina bombina (Linnaeus, 1761) – European firebelly toad
  • Bombina lichuanensis Ye and Fei, 1993 – Lichuan bell toad
    • Bombina fortinuptialis Tian & Wu, 1978 – Guangxi firebelly toad, considered a synonym of B. lichuanensis
    • Bombina microdeladigitora Liu, Hu & Yang, 1960 – Hubei firebelly toad, considered a synonym of B. lichuanensis
  • Bombina maxima (Boulenger, 1905) – Yunnan firebelly toad
  • Bombina orientalis (Boulenger, 1890) – Oriental firebelly toad
  • Bombina pachypus (Bonaparte, 1838) – Apennine yellow-bellied toad
  • Bombina variegata (Linnaeus, 1758) – yellow-bellied toad

Biology

The female of the species typically lays 80–300 eggs that can be found hanging off plant stems. The offspring develop in pools or puddles. Their metamorphosis is complete within a few weeks, peaking in July–August. The toadlets attain a length of 12–15 mm. The eggs, laid in August, metamorphose only after the winter, with the toadlets attaining a length of 3–5 cm. These toadlets still have a white belly.

Tadpoles eat mainly algae and higher plants. The young toads and the adult toads consume insects, such as flies and beetles, but also invertebrates such as annelid worms, and terrestrial arthropods.

Fire-bellied toads are active both day and night.

The mating call of the male sounds like a dog's bark and will be very light to hear.

In captivity

Several species in the genus Bombina, particularly B. orientalis, B bombina, and B. variegata, are commonly kept as exotic pets and are readily available in many pet stores. In captivity, they are easily maintained in vivariums and when provided with proper food and environmental conditions, often prove robust, flamboyant and long lived amphibians. Captive fire-bellied toads usually live to be around 12 years old, and there are several cases reported by owners of fire-bellied toads attaining ages up to 30 years.

It is risky to house any type of these toads with other species, as they secrete toxins from glands behind the head. In some individuals there is a spot of color, such as green or brown, where these glands are located. For this reason, it is extremely important that any water in the habitat is changed every few days or is filtered as the toxin will build up in the water and can harm the toads. Many species do not seem to be bothered by the toxins if the primary water source is filtered properly.

In captivity they will eat a wide variety of food, including crickets, moths, minnows, blood worms and pinkie mice, although some frogs cannot handle certain foods, due to their size. Smaller frogs like smaller food, and the same goes for bigger frogs.

In paludariums (Habitations with both terra and water) each toad usually requires at least 3 gallons, however 3 toads can fit into an 8 gallon vivarium with proper treatment.

They can sometimes act very aggressively against each other, particularly males.

References

  1. ↑ Bombina, Amphibian Species of the World 5.6

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Bombina

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