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Family: Bombinatoridae (Fire-Bellied Toads)

Northeastern China, Korea, and the Khabarovsk and Primorye regions
Origin:
of Russia
IUCN (Red List) Status: Least Concern (LC)
CITES Status: No Listing
Adult Snout-to-Vent
38 - 50 mm (1.5 - 2 inches)
Length:
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
Captive Difficulty: Beginner
Breeding Difficulty: Intermediate
Activity: Diurnal, but active at any hour of the day
Day 16-24 °C (68-75 °F), with a basking area at no more than 26 °C /
Temperature:
80 °F
Food: Crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and other insects
There are very few pet stores where you won't find fire-bellied toads for sale. Generally, this
means |
  
, the Oriental or Chinese Fire-Bellied Toad, the species most often
referred to as simply ³Fire-Bellied Toad´. It is a primitive frog of the family Bombinatoridae,
suborder Archaeobatrachia, and a native of northeastern Asia. There are 8 species in the genus
|
, all of which are semi-aquatic and possess tubercles (wart-like bumps) that cover the
skin dorsally. They also possess triangular pupils. Only 4 of the 8 species of |
 are seen in
captivity.

ñ? |

, the European Fire-Bellied Toad, is brownish gray to very dark gray in
color, almost black, with darker spots dorsally. Some individuals are green with darker
green spots. Ventrally, they are gray to black with orange spots or patches. An albino
form of this species is now being offered in the pet trade.
ñ? |  , the Yellow-Bellied Toad, another European native, is brown to olive in
color, with little to no dark spots on its dorsum (the back). Some specimens have patches
of green. The venter of this toad is orangey-yellow with gray spots.
ñ? |

, the Giant Fire-Bellied Toad, is brown dorsally. It has very pronounced
tubercles on its dorsum, which make it very distinct from the rest of the |
 species
discussed in this article. Ventrally (on the underside), this toad is very similar to |

 ± gray with yellow patches.
ñ? |  
, the Chinese or Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad, is bright green to dark olive
brown, with black spots dorsally. Some darker individuals may have green patches on
their backs as well. The tubercles of this species are pronounced and can be quite rough.
The underside of wild caught specimens is best described as scarlet in color, with
numerous black dots. Captive bred specimens frequently have a more orange belly,
usually due to a lack of pigment molecules or pigment precursor molecules in their diet.

While written primarily for the Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad, |
  
, the care and
breeding information presented here is equally applicable to the 3 other species of |

available in captivity. Coincidentally, it¶s also relatively valid for the care of the North American
Cricket Frog species complex,  .

The coloration of these toads warns most predators of their toxicity, but unfortunately these
bright warning colors are only found on the venter (underside) of |
 toads. This type of
warning coloration is known as ³aposematic´. To present a warning to a would-be predator, the
fire-bellied toad must arch its back downward, raising its head and limbs upward, exposing its
bright hues. It will hold this pose until the offending animal gets the message and moves on. This
defense posture is known as the unken reflex, which comes from the German word for toad,
³unke´. This behavior is observed in several frogs and toads, as well as some salamanders, such
as the Rough-Skinned Newt, 
.

The toxicity of these toads dictates that you should never handle a fire-bellied toad without
washing your hands afterward. Unlike poison dart frogs who get their poisons from their food in
the wild but are relatively harmless in captivity, fire-bellied toads manufacture their own
poisons. Their skin secretions can cause severe discomfort if you were to touch your eyes
accidentally after handling a fire-bellied toad.
|

 can be sexed by looking at the webbing between the toes. The male of the species will
have webbing that is more pronounced and completely spans the distance between the toes in an
almost straight line. In females the webbing is less pronounced and arches in between the toes.

Sexing |  
 is more of a challenge, as the method for sexing |

 is not reliable
since the webbing in both genders is similar. The genders are very difficult to distinguish outside
of the breeding season. You may not be able to identify a female out of breeding season, but
there are two methods to identify adult males. The first is the call, which sounds like a soft moan
or the muffled barking of a dog, and the other is his general behavior, because most males will
regularly engage their fellow terrarium residents in amplexus (the mating embrace). Without the
proper conditioning of both genders, which involves a cooling period, nothing will come of this
behavior.

In the wild, |  

 inhabits mixed temperate forest (mixed forest is made up of deciduous
and coniferous trees). It is found in or near the stagnant waters of lakes, ponds, swampy bush
lands, springs, ditches, and puddles. It usually hibernates on land, but some do so in water, from
September or October, to April or May. Common den sites are rotting logs, thick leaf litter, and
piles of stones.

Breeding occurs in the spring with arrival of the warm rains of April and May, but can continue
into mid-August. Males develop small, black-tipped tubercles on the back and upper surfaces of
the hind legs, while the legs of females remain relatively smooth. The males also develop nuptial
pads on the inner surfaces of their front legs. They call to attract a mate, but the sound is quite
subdued because males lack the external vocal sac(s) necessary to amplify their calls.
Unreceptive females, or males that have been grasped in error, can give a trilling release call.

A pair of Oriental Fire-Bellied Toads, |
  

,
in the mating embrace "amplexus", preparing to breed.
 ?

Photo ©2010 Justin Reed

Amplexus, the term used to describe the clasping of a female frog by a male frog, is inguinal,
meaning the male grasps the female towards the rear of the body, just in front of the hind legs.
Most frog and toad species engage in axillary amplexus, where the male grasps the female just
behind the front legs. Inguinal amplexus is considered a more primitive or less advanced
behavior than axillary amplexus.

Females can lay over 250 eggs, which are laid singly or small clusters. The eggs are attached to
aquatic plants, rocks, and aquatic debris. The eggs hatch in under a week. The tadpoles are
omnivorous, and they reach metamorphosis in 4 to 8 weeks. Unlike most frogs and toads,
|
 toadlets will prey on small terrestrial invertebrates even before they have fully resorbed
their tails.
 ?

Breeding vivarium for Oriental Fire-Bellied Toads, |
  

.
A similar setup, with less water, would make a suitable terrarium for
for maintaining these toads outside of the breeding season.
Photo ©2010 Justin Reed

  

Toads of the genus of |
 are semi-aquatic and their housing should reflect this. An
appropriate enclosure should consist of a significant aquatic section with islands or a dedicated
terrestrial section. A 40 L (10 US gallon) aquarium could comfortably accommodate 5 or 6
toads. The enclosure can be elaborate or simple, as long as these basic requirements are met.

The most basic enclosure consists of a tank that is flooded with about 5 cm (2 inches) of water,
with a floating island (polystyrene foam/styrofoam, for example). The water used should be tap
water that has been treated with a dechlorinator (such as Amquel or Aquasafe), aged tap water
(provided your local water does not contain chloramines), or spring water. Polystyrene foam
trays are often used to package vegetables and other food produce at most supermarkets. Do not
use trays that have been used to package meat, as they might introduce harmful bacteria to the
enclosure. You may need to poke a hole or two in the tray in order to allow the escape of any
trapped air, otherwise your ³island´ may sit too high in the water to allow the toads ease of
access. Of course, polystyrene isn¶t very pleasing to the eye, and other cheap alternatives include
³turtle docks´ sold in pet stores, pieces of cork bark, or aquarium-appropriate rocks like petrified
wood, that have been stacked to form islands.

An aquarium filter can be used to maintain water quality. Examples include sponge filters,
internal/submersible power filters, hang-on filters and external canister filters. If you use a filter,
bear in mind that they can produce a strong flow of water and that this can be stressful to your
still water-loving toads. Therefore, make sure to reduce the flow as much as possible, and if you
use a powerful filter, consider employing a spray bar to spread out the flow of water, otherwise
you may have a mini river instead of a mini pond!

A newly-laid egg of the Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad, |
  

.
Photo ©2010 Justin Reed

A bare aquarium with a polystyrene island and a filter is not what most people would consider
aesthetically pleasing, but you can expand on these basic vivarium elements. For example,
aquarium gravel can be used as a substrate, and you can also use it to make a sloping beach
between an aquatic section and a terrestrial section. Incidentally, if you do use gravel, either use
aquarium-safe sand, or use gravel that is too big to be swallowed accidentally. The enclosure can
be planted with artificial or real plants. Good candidate aquatic plants for these toads should be
robust to tolerate their climbing and boisterous activity. Some appropriate species include Java
Moss (
), Canadian Pondweed (
), , and
Salvinia (
 ). Terrestrial plants are liable to get a good soaking unless you carefully
construct a separate land section. Plants that are not averse to having their roots submerged in
water are a good idea. A commonly available example is Pothos (


).

Another approach to having both land and water sections is the ³false bottom´. Instructions for
building a false bottom can be found in the Red-Eyed Leaf Frog article. One of our members
here at Frog Forum, Johnny Farnen, has some great terrarium ideas, including a great photograph
of a divided aquarium, where he has siliconed a piece of sloping glass in place and then siliconed
pebbles to it.

Lighting is not essential, but if you wish to grow real plants, lighting of a suitable spectrum is
advised. ³Daylight´ spectrum bulbs are appropriate, and these are usually marked by color
temperature ± 6500 or 6700 K bulbs are the best, but 5000 K will suffice. These toads are
diurnal, meaning that they are active during the day. In the wild, they likely experience some
Ultraviolet ³B´ (UVB) light, but unlike reptiles there is no direct evidence that these amphibians
require it. These toads are known to bask, but this is more for heat than for any light requirement.
A suitable photoperiod is 12 hours per day and this can be accomplished using a plug-in timer,
which will also come in handy for modifying the photoperiod for breeding the toads (see later in
this article).

No matter how you set up your fire-bellied toad enclosure, it will need an appropriate lid/cover.
These toads require ventilation, so a screen cover, such as those sold for terrariums, is
appropriate. A wet |  
 is a fairly adept climber and will not last long outside its
enclosure without access to water, so ensure that the lid is escape-proof.

Provide hiding places for your toads. This will help them feel more secure in their artificial
habitat. Pieces of cork bark, artificial caves, and even short pieces of PVC piping can be added to
the enclosure for this purpose, and good planting decisions can provide extra, more natural
hiding places.

No matter which design choices you make, ensure your enclosure is kept clean. Weekly partial
water changes and spot cleaning of feces constitute a good maintenance regimen. By maintaining
healthy conditions you can avoid diseases such as "red-leg", which may be brought on by poor
conditions.

A healthy tadpole of the Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad, |
  

.
Photo ©2010 John P. Clare / FrogForum.net

î
    

  î 


Purchasing captive bred animals not only lowers the chance of your toads carrying diseases and
parasites, but also reduces the market for wild caught animals, and as a result helps to reduce the
numbers collected from the wild. However, acquiring captive bred |
  
 is much
easier said than done. Most specimens available in the pet trade originate in the wild, and the
majority of these toads are wild caught in Korea. Some dedicated enthusiasts are breeding these
toads in captivity, but fire-bellied toads are abundant in the wild and, sadly, it is cheaper for pet
stores to import wild caught animals.

As with all wild caught amphibians, it is important to treat your new toads for gastrointestinal
parasites with metronidazole and later on, with fenbendazole. These are both anti-parastic drugs
± metronidazole, also known as flagyl, kills protozoans, and fenbendazole (Panacur) kills
parasitic worms. Each dose should be administered at a minimum interval of 3 days. As with
most drugs of this nature, a veterinarian should prescribe and administer animal medications.

You should, as soon as possible, make an appointment with your vet after acquiring new toads.
Bring a fresh fecal sample that has not been exposed to water and is no more than 24 hours old.
To acquire a suitable fecal sample, house the toad on white paper towels until it relieves itself. A
suitably sized water bowl should be provided for the toad during this period, due to their semi-
aquatic nature. Even after a viable sample has been collected and tested for parasites, the toad
should remain in this setup until a second or even a third sample can be collected. After
treatment, ideally you will want the very last sample to test negative for parasites.

If you already have some established fire-bellied toads or any other captive amphibians, any new
toad(s) needs to be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days away from the other animals. If you
can house the new toad(s) in a different room from the others, then do so. The reason for this is
to prevent the spread of any diseases and parasites that are not immediately apparent.

To prevent the possible spread of disease, you should wear disposable gloves when handling the
new toad or anything else with which it comes in contact. After putting on the gloves, ‰

‰ 
rinse your hands to remove any powder and chemical residue they may have, as
both can be harmful to some amphibians. Dispose of the gloves after use and do not reuse them.
Anything that comes into contact with the new animal must be sterilized before it can be used for
your other animals.

A good sterilizing agent is a solution of bleach in water ± a 10% bleach solution is

recommended. After sterilizing objects, thoroughly rinse them with water before using them
again. Large and awkward objects, such as tank furniture, wood, and cork bark, that can¶t be
readily sterilized with bleach, can be baked in an oven for an hour or two at 65 °C (150 °F). Pea
gravel (make sure it is too big to be swallowed by your toads) can be boiled for a few minutes.
With the last two methods, allow the items to cool before use.
 ?

Tadpole of the Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad, |
  

,
with nearly fully developed hind legs.
Photo ©2010 John P. Clare / FrogForum.net

c 

Feeding |
  

 isn't difficult. They will accept most feeder insects, including
crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and bean weevils (also known as bean beetles). Food items
should be no longer than the toad's head is wide. That being said, they can often tackle prey that
is slightly larger.

Remember to gut-load feeder insects whenever possible, and to use vitamin and calcium dusting
supplements. Make sure the calcium supplement has vitamin D3, so calcium can be properly
absorbed - otherwise your toad might develop hypocalcaemia (calcium deficiency). Toads with
this health problem can develop partial or complete paralysis of the hind limbs. An animal
suffering from this illness has a poor chance of recovery and must be treated by a veterinarian.

Gut-loading should be carried out at least 12 hours prior to feeding your frogs. However, a 48-
hour period is preferable. Items that would be beneficial in gut loading your feeder insects
include carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, zucchini/courgettes, mustard or dandelion greens, collard
greens, and commercial cricket gut-loading products. If using dandelion greens, it is best to
acquire them from the produce section of your local supermarket, rather than your yard.
Collecting your own may indirectly put your animals at risk to any fertilizers, pesticides or weed
killers that have been used on the plants or in their vicinity.

One important vitamin that may need supplementation is vitamin A, and there are two ways to
achieve this. One is to dust insects with a supplement that contains this vitamin. The other is to
gut-load your feeder insects with vegetables that are rich in chemicals called carotenes, such as
carrots (where the carrots get their pigment). Feeder insects will convert some of these chemicals
to vitamin A and the carotenes themselves will help the toads maintain their bright red belly
hues.

How often and how much you feed your toads is up to you but we recommend that you feed
them once or twice a week, about 3 or 4 suitably sized crickets each.

There are reports that toads will eat floating turtle pellets. In our experience, only some will do
so, and only if they are offered the pellets directly - when left floating in the water, the toads
ignored them altogether. This was the case for all 3 brands of pellets that were tried: Tetra
Reptomin, Omega One's Adult Turtle Sticks (which, oddly enough, are much smaller than
Reptomin), and Jungle's Reptile Extra Anti-parasite Pellets. The first 2 were accepted, but the
third was ignored. However, it is possible that the toads will eventually learn to eat floating turtle
pellets.


 

While there are several approaches to breeding these toads, the most important requirement for
breeding |  
 is a winter cool down period lasting at least 6 weeks.

One successful method involves placing the toads in a tupperware/plastic food container filled
two thirds of the way with moist moss and then placing the container in a fridge. The
temperature of the fridge should be 7-10 °C (45-50 °F). Six to eight weeks seems to be sufficient
time to condition the toads using this approach. During this period the toads are fed once a week.
When their time in the fridge is up, transfer them back to a tank that is kept within the normal
temperature range (see the information box near the top of this article). After allowing the toads
a few days to adjust to life outside the fridge, they should receive a heavy feeding regimen that
consists of crickets four times a week, and waxworms once a week. This is an integral aspect of
conditioning because the nutrition the female receives will transfer to her eggs/egg production.
For the first week out of the fridge, a reduced lighting period of about 10 hours per day is
recommended, increasing by 1-2 hours each week until reaching a peak of about 14 hours of
light each day. By the end of the first week you should begin to hear your male(s) calling.
 ?

Newly metamorphosed froglet of the Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad,

|
  
.
Photo ©2010 John P. Clare / FrogForum.net

Another approach, if feasible for you (and your back!), is to move the whole terrarium to the
basement or other cool area of the house. Leave it there for a few months, with a reduced
photoperiod of 8 hours per day. Their appetites will depend on the temperature, so feed
appropriately. Once ready, bring the terrarium back to a warmer area of the house, empty all of
the water and replace it with warmer water in the upper part of the temperature range already
described. The photoperiod should be increased to 12 hours. Employing this method, the toads
should lay eggs on about the third day, compared with after about 2 weeks using the first
method.

Females will attach eggs, either singly or in clumps, to objects in the water, such as plants or
rocks. It will take the eggs about 6 days to hatch at 22 °C (72 °F). The emerging tadpoles will
feed from the yolk in their bellies for a few days after hatching, and once this is exhausted you
will begin to see them swimming around. You can remove the eggs to a simple container, but an
equally valid approach is to leave the tadpoles in the adult setup, because the tadpoles will feed
on the algae and detritus present there. In the authors¶ experience, the tadpoles left in an
established tank grow faster, larger, and healthier than tadpoles that have been removed to
another container. Augment the tadpoles¶ diet with finely crushed fish flakes that contain high
amounts of carotenes, and it¶s a good idea to add crustaceans to the diet each week, such as baby
brine shrimp and , both of which should be provided dead, since the tadpoles are not
actively predatory. As mentioned earlier in the feeding section of this article, carotenes are
important because they give the toads their orange/red belly coloration, and many crustaceans are
a good source of these chemicals. Tadpoles fed a diet lacking a significant amount of carotenes
will have a yellow or weekly orange belly at metamorphosis.
The froglets, also known as toadlets, will begin to metamorphose about 6 weeks after hatching, if
fed well and maintained at about 22 °C (72 °F). Once the toadlets begin emerging from the
water, move them to a simple, easy to maintain setup. A suitable first terrarium consists of
moistened brown paper towels in a plastic, shoebox-sized container. They should receive a diet
of dusted/supplemented fruit flies (  
) and pinhead crickets 5-6 times a week. It is
important to remember to dust both of these food items with calcium and vitamins several times
a week to ensure an adequate growth rate. Young |
 froglets are very adept climbers, so
use a secure, ventilated lid for this growing terrarium, and keep the substrate moist.

  

If you like colorful, diurnal frogs, but can't afford or don't have the necessary experience to keep
dart frogs or mantellas, then fire-bellied toads are for you. Combined with the relative ease of
their care, their low cost and forgiving requirements make for an ideal frog for both the beginner
and the seasoned hobbyist. Lastly, their calls are subdued, so if you like your frogs on the quiet
side, consider |
 for your next terrarium project.

A note on species mixing: Many new frog enthusiasts attempt to house Bombina toads with other
frogs or even newts. For example, many mistakenly believe that fire-bellied newts and fire-
bellied toads make compatible companions. Sadly, this is a dangerous and common mistake. If
you need any convincing that it is dangerous, please read the cautionary tales on mixing different
species, over at Caudata Culture.

{


1.? Walls, Jerry G. c  c ÿ
TFH Publications

2.? Kuzmin, Sergius L. |
  
 
c|

  ÿ Institute of
Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow AmphibiaWeb
3.? Merker, Gerold & Walter 

c  Reptiles Annual/Bowtie Publications