Fire-Bellied Toad

The Fire Belly Toad is probably one of the hardiest and most colorful terrestrial toads that any amphibian owner could own.

The Fire Belly Toad does relatively well living with other toads of its species. However, placing this toad with other species often results in a quick death due to the toxins on the Fire Belly's skin. In general, amphibians should not be handled, and since the Fire Belly Toad has toxins in its skin, you should be sure to wash your hands both before and after handling them. For the most part, humans do not have negative reactions to the toxins in this toads skin, however, there are some cases in which rashes have developed due to exposure to this Toad. This toad is quite active, with a lively chirp, and it has a lot of character. They do require a fair amount of upkeep, but nothing that even a first timer couldn't handle with the proper direction. The average lifespan ranges from 10 to 20 years, though some individuals can live considerably longer.

Fire Belly Toads illustrate their name quite clearly when they expose their red and black bellies to the observer. They do this in order to scare off predators when there is no water near by for them to hide. When exposing the upper portion of their ventral region is not enough, the Fire Belly will lie on its back and then begin to excrete its toxins. In captivity, the Fire Belly Toad often looses this distinguishing red color and instead displays yellow and black in its ventral region. This can be fixed quite easily by adding beta-carotene to their food for a few weeks. The Fire Belly's back is typically a shade of green with black spots.

Male and female Fire Belly Toads are not easy to distinguish between. Both reach an average length of 5.5 to 6 inches; and though the males tend to be a bit chunkier looking, with thicker forearms and rougher or wartier backs, the only time they can really be completely distinguished from one another is during their mating season. At this time, the male will have black nuptial pads on his fingers and forearms. Sometimes you can sex Fire Belly Toads by observing their behavior with one another. If a Fire Belly jumps on the back of another, he can generally be classified as male. If the toad who is beneath the first toad reacts in such a way as to dispense of the first toad, chances are that this toad is male as well. However, if the Toad is not immediately rejected, there is a high probability that the Toad is female. The true sex of the Fire Belly Toad cannot be certainly determined until the toad under question is sexually mature.

Fire Belly Toads can be found in Siberia, Thailand, China, and Korea. Here they live at elevations between 5300 and 10,000 feet above sea level. They spend most of their time around ponds, streams, and humid areas that they call home. There is a little bit of confusion regarding the taxonomy of the Fire Bellied Toad. Historically they were placed in the family Discoglossidae (spelled Discoglassidae by some), but in the mid 1990s they were moved to the family Bombinatoridae

Relative Care Ease:
Fire Belly Toads do best in terrariums with about three-quarters water, where they spend most of their time, and one-quarter land. The water portion of the tank should include many free-floating plants in which they can hide and the water should be at a depth of two to four inches. The land portion of the tank should also contain hiding places. A filter is recommended to help keep the water area clean. If you are not using a filter, you will need to change the water more often. Water should be free of chlorine, but not distilled. A 20-gallon-long (30 inches long) tank can house five or six toads. Ideally the temperature should be kept between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have guppies in your tank, the frogs will catch them from time to time. They should be fed a variety of insects such as crickets, mealworms, and waxworms. It is a good idea to sprinkle insects with calcium powder

Breeding and Propagation:
In order to stimulate breeding, slowly lower and then slowly raise the temperature within the terrarium. The males will begin chirping and mounting the backs of other Fire Belly Toads. Once a female is ready to breed, she will carry the male around on her back in the water. The female Fire Belly is capable of laying as many as 200 eggs and will deposit them in small groups or by themselves on rocks, plants, and whatever else can be found in the water. After she has laid her eggs, remove them and place them in a separate aquarium with a maintained 77-degree Fahrenheit temperature. Like other toads Fire Belly Toads eat most anything they can fit in their mouths, including tadpoles, which is why it is important to keep the eggs and the mother in different enclosures! After three days at this temperature, they will hatch and then for another three days feed on the yolk sac. After this, you should feed them finely crushed fish food. At three weeks, when the tadpoles begin going through metamorphosis, you should add a land area, upon which they can climb when they are done going through metamorphosis. After only five weeks, the first tadpoles can be seen as having completed metamorphosis. At this point, they will eat small insects and should be moved to land. These toads are sexually mature in less than a year