Oriental Fire Bellied Toad

Oriental fire-bellied toads are semi-aquatic, small in size species found across Korea, North east China and some parts of Russia. This species has also been introduced near Beijing. The scientific term for this is ‘bombina orientalis’ and they can be kept as pets in land and water vivariums.

With their bright green color speckled with black, oriental fire-bellied toads are easily recognizable. They have the ability to blend in with their surroundings, so, the color of their coat may change to brown or even black depending upon their environment. Their ventral area can vary from yellow to red. Tiny tubercles cover the dorsal side of these toads. Their bellies are marked with bright orange color. This bright color is meant to warn that they are poisonous as they give out mildly toxic skin secretions.

An interesting fact is that even though, fire-bellied toads are commonly referred to as toads, they are not actually members of the toad family. They should really be called frogs.
Oriental fire-bellied toads are primarily aquatic creatures and they are found in forested regions which are warm and humid. Dense vegetation offers them ample cover and they spend most of their time basking in shallow pools.

As warmer weather approaches, breeding takes place, mostly in spring and the process intensifies during rains. Males woo the females with a light, barking croak. But, they often simply jump onto any other fire-bellied toad passing by, leading to confusion. This, however, very rarely leads to fighting. Eggs are usually laid in large clusters, around 40 to 100 eggs amongst the submerged plants near the edge of the water. The temperature of the water determines how long the tadpoles will take to hatch, which is, usually 3 to 10 days. In 6 to 8 weeks, the larvae begin to develop legs. Within 12 to 14 weeks, the larvae undergo total metamorphosis and begin stepping out on land.

When kept in captivity, the water should be dechlorinated because fire-bellied toads are sensitive to chlorine. Their normal diet is small crickets dusted with calcium powder. Small insects and worms can also be fed to them. In captivity, fire-bellied toads are fed carrots which are a rich source of beta-carotene. This beta-carotene gives the bright color to the frogs. Oriental fire-bellied toads usually feed upon live food as they tend to ignore any food which is still or too slow. They only hunt prey which moves. Their tongues are short and round and which cannot be pushed out. This hampers them in spitting out food which they may have accidentally eaten.

The ideal captive enclosure should have plenty of land and water and enough hiding places to make the oriental fire-bellied toad feel secure.

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