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Fire-Bellied Toads

March 14, 2022

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

  1. The skin pores of the Fire-Bellied Toad contain poison that helps protect it against predators.
  2. Other toads use their sticky tongues to catch prey, but the Fire-Bellied Toad uses its mouth.
  3. They have a longer lifespan compared to other toads.
  4. The bright red/orange underbelly significantly signals danger to its predators.
  5. They are common in slow-moving water, streams, lakes, and ponds.

1 Comment

  1. Robert G. Bird

    What, if any effect does their poison have on humans?

    Reply

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