Fire Belly Toad

Genus Bombina

Amphibian

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about fire belly toads. Fire belly toads get their name from the yellow to red markings found on their bellies. The specific belly color depends on multiple factors including diet and species - of which there are currently six identified in the fire belly toad genus. From above, these frogs may be brown to green in color likely in order to blend in with their surroundings.

Fire belly toads are found in Europe and parts of Asia. They are mostly aquatic animals and inhabit areas with calm water systems. Streams, rice paddies, ponds, and even rain puddles all exist as suitable fire belly toad homes. While these amphibians spend a majority of their time in water, they may also travel relatively far distances on land. During the breeding season, some fire belly toads may wander as far as a third of a mile (0.5 kilometers) from their place of birth. For comparison, that would be the same as Chester walking more than three miles (5 kilometers) - which I’m sure he would do for food, but definitely not a lady cat.

Fire belly toads spend the cooler months of the year in a state of low activity. They’ll come out of this as the weather begins to warm, usually around the beginning of April. It’s at this point they’ll search for a mate. The males will call and jump on just about anything that might be mistaken for a female fire belly - including each other! When a male does eventually mate with a female, the female will lay her fertilized eggs in small clusters. These clusters may contain up to 25 eggs, and the female will lay multiple batches attaching them to vegetation or other debris in the water. The eggs will hatch within two weeks and the tadpoles will develop for about three months until they’re ready to leave the water in their adult forms. Fire belly toads are considered long lived frogs as they may reach ten to twenty years of age!

They may have their toxic skin to thank for their long lifespans. Fire belly toads secrete a milky substance from pores in their skin that is irritating when touched. In humans this secretion has been noted to cause a runny nose and burning sensation in the eyes. It has also been described as smelling like leeks, which are a type of onion. The toxin makes a fire belly toad taste awful, too, so a predator quickly learns not to eat it. Fire belly toads are, however, eaten by some grass and water snakes.

To warn an attacked that they are bad to eat, fire belly toads take on a funny pose to reveal their bright undersides. This is sometimes called the “canoe posture”. The frogs arch their backs and cover their faces with their front feet. If they really feel threatened, they may even turn themselves over to fully reveal their bright bellies!

As tadpoles, fire belly toads eat algae and other plant material until they’re large enough to take animal prey. As adults, these frogs consume worms, snails, and insects. Unlike many frog species, fire belly toads don’t have tongues that shoot out of their mouths to catch a meal. Instead, they must jump on a prey item and quickly shove it in their mouths using their front feet.

Fire belly toads have heart shaped eyes - or triangle shaped if you want to be less romantic. On average they reach about two inches (5 centimeters) in length, though, as is usual with frogs, the ladies are larger. Something strange about them, however, is that when the males are calling to females, unlike many other frog species who exhale to make noise, these frogs inhale!

For more facts on fire belly toads check out the links in the description. Thank you to alterego for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.