The Fire-Bellied toads are common in the northeastern parts of China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea. This toad has an underbelly with bright red/orange and black splotches. Fire-Bellies eat plants exclusively when they are tadpoles, but they become omnivores as adults and start eating insects and snails.
Below is information that will teach more about the Fire-Bellied Toad.
Facts about the Fire-Bellied Toad
- The Fire-Bellied Toad is an amphibian that belongs to the genus of Bombina. Its scientific name is the same as its genus Bombina.
- Its habitat is small water bodies such as ponds and lakes.
- Adults love a solitary life, but the vulnerable tadpoles stick together and have algae as their food.
- Fire-Bellied Toads live for 12 to 15 years, but they can live up to 20 years when nurtured in a lab.
- The mating calls of the Fire-Bellied Toad sound like that of a barking dog, unlike the usual croaking of frogs.
- The females deposit their fertilized eggs in many clusters in the nearby vegetation. The eggs hatch within 4 to 10 days and give birth to tadpoles.
- They communicate through auditory signaling, particularly during the mating season.
- They move through crawling instead of hopping like frogs.
- Their weight is between 20 to 80g.
- They can reach a height of 5cm.
- The predators of the Fire-Bellied Toads are snakes, birds, and foxes.
- The Fire-Bellied Toads are dangerous because they contain poison close to the surface of their skin.
Fascinating Features of the Fire-Bellied Toad
- The skin pores of the Fire-Bellied Toad contain poison that helps protect it against predators.
- Other toads use their sticky tongues to catch prey, but the Fire-Bellied Toad uses its mouth.
- They have a longer lifespan compared to other toads.
- The bright red/orange underbelly significantly signals danger to its predators.
- They are common in slow-moving water, streams, lakes, and ponds.
What, if any effect does their poison have on humans?