Fire-bellied toad: secrets of poisonous camouflage and amazing behavior

The fire-bellied toad (fire-bellied toad) is an unusual and attractive animal that amazes with its appearance, behavior, and ability to survive in various conditions.

This toad belongs to the family Bombinatoridae (genus Bombina). The common name "fire-bellied" toad was given due to its bright coloration, reminiscent of flames.

In this article, we will tell you the most interesting facts about the fire-bellied toad, its appearance, habitat, lifestyle, reproduction, keeping in captivity, and its role in nature.

 

Appearance of the fire-bellied toad

The fire-bellied toad is a small animal, typically reaching 4–5 cm in length, 3–4 cm in width, and 2–3 cm in height. Its weight is about 10–15 grams.

The toad’s body is rounded with a flat belly and a short tail. Its head is relatively small, with large eyes and a wide mouth. The toad's eyes have vertical pupils and protrude above the surface of the head, allowing it to observe its surroundings without emerging from the water.

The toad’s legs are thin and long, with webbed toes between the fingers. The front legs have four fingers, while the back legs have five. The toad’s legs help it move on land and water, as well as cling to branches and leaves.

One of the most distinctive features of the fire-bellied toad is its coloration. The toad’s back is dark green, brown, or gray with various spots, stripes, or speckles. This helps it blend in with vegetation and soil, avoiding predators' attention. In contrast, the belly has a bright orange, red, or yellow color with black spots or stripes. This bright coloration signals to potential enemies that the toad is poisonous and dangerous.

Interesting fact

The black markings on each toad's belly are unique, like fingerprints in humans.

When the toad feels threatened, it flips onto its back, arching its belly upwards, showing its bright coloration.

 

Habitat of the fire-bellied toad

The fire-bellied toad is a widespread animal found in Europe and Asia. Its range extends from France and Germany in the west to China and Japan in the east.

The fire-bellied toad prefers to live in moist and warm areas such as forests, swamps, lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams. It can also inhabit mountainous regions at altitudes of up to 3000 meters above sea level.

The fire-bellied toad is adapted to various climatic conditions, from temperate to subtropical. It can survive droughts, frosts, and floods using different survival strategies.

 

Lifestyle of the fire-bellied toad

The fire-bellied toad is a long-living amphibian. Its lifespan averages 10–15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.

The fire-bellied toad is sometimes active during the day, but more often at dusk and night.

The terrain and climate affect the life of the fire-bellied toad. Depending on the season and temperature, it may change its habitat, behavior, and metabolism. For example, in cold weather, the fire-bellied toad buries itself in mud, where it enters a state of winter hibernation. In this state, it reduces its activity, breathing, and pulse to save energy. In warm weather, the fire-bellied toad emerges from hibernation and searches for bodies of water where it spends most of its time.

The diet of the fire-bellied toad mainly consists of insects and their larvae: flies, crickets, moths, ants. Occasionally, cannibalism occurs among them.

The fire-bellied toad usually hunts at night. When it spots an insect or other small animal, it quickly extends its long, sticky tongue and sticks it to its prey. The toad then quickly pulls its tongue back into its mouth, capturing the prey and swallowing it whole. The size of the prey the toad can catch is limited by the size of its mouth.

In case of danger in the water, the toad dives underwater to escape from a predator. When threatened on land, the fire-bellied toad enters a typical frightened state, also known as the toad reflex or Unken reflex. It flips onto its back, twists its body, and arches its back and limbs to show the attacker its bright belly.

Additionally, fire-bellied toads are capable of secreting a substance from their skin called bombesin, which causes irritation, inflammation, and pain in anyone who touches the toad. Despite their toxicity, these toads sometimes fall prey to other frogs, snakes, some birds, and mammals.

 

Reproduction of the fire-bellied toad

The fire-bellied toad reaches sexual maturity at the age of 2–3 years. It reproduces once a year, in the spring-summer period, when the water temperature rises to 15–20 degrees. The fire-bellied toad has a complex and interesting mating period consisting of several stages.

The first stage is the mating call, which begins with vocal signals. Male fire-bellied toads produce characteristic dull sounds both on the water's surface and underwater. These sounds serve to attract females and deter competitors. When a male and female find each other, they begin swimming side by side, touching each other.

The second stage is the amplexus, where the male grasps the female not by the shoulders but by the body, pressing closely (this is called amplexus). During amplexus, the male and female swim around the body of water, searching for a suitable place to lay eggs. They prefer areas with vegetation, where the eggs will be protected from predators and sunlight.

The third stage is egg-laying and development, which occurs within minutes. The female fire-bellied toad lays 100 to 300 eggs, which are round and have a transparent shell. The male, in turn, fertilizes the eggs by releasing sperm into the water. The eggs attach to plants or sink to the bottom of the water body. Throughout the summer, fire-bellied toads can lay eggs multiple times. The development of the eggs depends on the water temperature and can take 2 to 4 weeks. During this period, metamorphosis occurs, turning the eggs into tadpoles and then into young toads.

The fourth stage is parental care, during which fire-bellied toad parents stay near the eggs and tadpoles, protecting them from predators. They can also move the eggs or tadpoles to other locations if the water body dries up or becomes polluted. The parents' role in the tadpoles' lives ends when they transform into young toads, becoming independent and dispersing to their territories. The survival rate of young fire-bellied toads is about 10–20%, as many fall prey to predators, diseases, or unfavorable conditions.

 

Fire-bellied toad: Features of keeping in captivity

The fire-bellied toad is an unusual and exotic pet that can bring its owner much joy and interest. However, keeping a fire-bellied toad in captivity has its pros and cons, and requires certain knowledge and effort. In this section, we will tell you who the fire-bellied toad is suitable for as a pet, who should avoid keeping it, whether fire-bellied toads are poisonous to humans, and how to properly care for this animal.

The fire-bellied toad is suitable as a pet for people who enjoy observing animals, are interested in their behavior and characteristics, and are willing to create comfortable conditions and care for their health. The fire-bellied toad does not require much attention, so it is suitable for busy or quiet people who do not want an overly active or noisy pet. This animal is also suitable for people who want to have an unusual and exotic pet that will attract attention and spark interest from guests.

The fire-bellied toad is not recommended as a pet for people who want a cuddly and obedient pet that will respond to their voice and touch, play with them, and give them affection. The fire-bellied toad is a wild animal that cannot be tamed or bonded to a human, so it is not suitable for people looking for a companion or friend in a pet. The fire-bellied toad is also not recommended for people who are not ready to spend time and money on setting up a terrarium, choosing food, preventing and treating diseases, and following safety and hygiene rules when handling the toad.

The fire-bellied toad is a poisonous animal that can pose a danger to humans if certain precautions are not followed. The skin of the fire-bellied toad contains toxins that have an onion-like odor and contain irritants and toxins. It feels soapy to the touch and covers the surface of the body with white foam. The toxin from the fire-bellied toad can cause severe irritation to the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose, chills, and headaches in humans.

To avoid poisoning from the fire-bellied toad's toxin, the following rules should be followed:

• Do not handle the toad without gloves or a towel, do not touch its skin, and do not kiss it.
• Do not keep the toad in the same terrarium as other animals, and do not allow it to come into contact with other pets or children.
• After handling the toad, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, wipe areas of contact with alcohol or iodine, and treat wounds and scratches with an antiseptic.
• If symptoms of poisoning from the fire-bellied toad's toxin appear, seek medical attention immediately, show the doctor the toad or a photo of it, and explain the time and circumstances of contact with it.

 

The role of the fire-bellied toad in nature

The fire-bellied toad is an indispensable helper in the ecosystem, performing important functions to maintain balance and biodiversity. It is also an indicator of environmental health, reflecting changes and issues. In this section, we will tell you how the fire-bellied toad fights pests and insects, how it affects other animals and plants, how it responds to global warming and pollution, and what extinction threats it faces.

The fire-bellied toad is an effective fighter against pests and insects that can damage agriculture, forestry, gardening, and horticulture. It eats flies, mosquitoes, moths, bugs, aphids, mole crickets, grasshoppers, ants, spiders, and other harmful or irritating insects. The fire-bellied toad helps control the population of these animals, preventing their excessive reproduction and spread of diseases.

The fire-bellied toad is an important link in the food chain, influencing other animals. It is a food source for many predators such as birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

The fire-bellied toad is a sensitive indicator of environmental health, responding to its changes and problems. It can be affected by global warming, which leads to rising water and air temperatures, reduced water resources, disruption of seasonal cycles and migrations. It can also suffer from pollution, which leads to deteriorating water and air quality, disruption of physiological processes, weakened immunity, and increased risk of diseases. The fire-bellied toad may change its color, behavior, and reproduction depending on the state of the environment, serving as a signal to humans to take action to protect and restore it.

The fire-bellied toad is a vulnerable species facing extinction threats due to human actions. It can suffer from poaching, when it is captured for sale, for use in traditional medicine, for making souvenirs, or for captivity. It can also suffer from habitat destruction, when its living areas are destroyed due to construction, agriculture, logging, mining, or tourism.

The fire-bellied toad needs protection and conservation to avoid extinction. It is included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as well as in the Red Books of different countries where it is found. It is also protected by various international and national laws that prohibit its capture, trade, transportation, and killing. The fire-bellied toad needs human support and involvement to help it survive and thrive in the larger world.