Oriental fire-bellied toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oriental fire-bellied toad |
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The Oriental fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis) is a small frog that lives partly in water. You can find them in northeastern Asia. They usually live in slow-moving water and cool forests.
These frogs are quite common. They have mild toxins (poisons) that can come out through their skin. Their bright orange or red bellies act as a warning sign to predators. Even though they are called "toads," they are not true toads. Their green and black skin has small bumps, making them look like toads.
Male toads make sounds, especially during mating season. These sounds are very different from other frogs. Their numbers are slowly going down, but there are still many of them. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says they are a "least concern" species. People often keep them as pets in special tanks called vivaria because they are easy to care for. Scientists also study their behavior, sounds, and how they learn.
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What They Look Like
Oriental fire-bellied toads can be bright green, grayish, or brownish green. They have black spots on their backs. Like other fire-bellied toads, Bombina orientalis has a bright belly. This can be yellow, red, or orange-red, with dark spots. Their finger and toe tips are usually red.
The skin on their upper side has small bumps. These bumps are the most noticeable among all Bombina species. Even though it's called a toad, it's not a true toad. These toads can grow to be about 3.8 to 5.1 centimeters (1.5 to 2 inches) long. They weigh about 28 to 57 grams (1 to 2 ounces).
You can tell males and females apart. Males have rough pads on their first and second fingers. These are called nuptial pads and help them hold onto females during mating.
Where They Live
You can find these toads in Korea, northeastern Russia, and northeastern China. They might also be in southern Japan, but this is probably wrong. A group of Japanese researchers could not find any there.
A group of these toads was brought to Beijing, China, in 1927. They have lived and bred there ever since. Some escaped toads have also been seen in Florida, USA. However, they have not created new populations there.
These toads live partly in water. They usually stay in slow-moving streams or ponds. When they are not in the water, you can often find them in forests. They can live at heights of up to 1,100 meters (3,600 feet). They are very tough and can live and even breed in polluted water. This is unusual for amphibians.
Behavior and Life
Oriental fire-bellied toads are very common amphibians in their native lands. They are active during the day. Studies show that they get some vitamin D3 from their food. But they also need sunlight to get enough of this important vitamin.
What They Eat
When they are young (larvae), Oriental fire-bellied toads eat algae, fungi, dead plants, and tiny living things. As adults, they eat land invertebrates. This includes worms, molluscs (like snails), and insects. What they eat in the wild makes their skin more poisonous. Wild toads have stronger toxins than pet toads.
Oriental fire-bellied toads cannot stick out their tongues to catch food. Instead, they have to jump at their prey to catch it.
Reproduction
Breeding happens around mid-May when the weather gets warmer. This is when the toads come out of their hibernation (winter sleep). Male toads call to the females with a soft sound, like a musical triangle.
Males will jump onto the backs of any other fire-bellied toad that passes by. Sometimes, they even try to mate with other kinds of amphibians, fish, plants, or even human fingers by mistake! Females lay 40 to 110 eggs in a big clump near the water's surface. The tadpoles start to grow legs in 6 to 8 weeks. They are fully grown (metamorphosed) by August or September.
Sounds They Make
It's unusual for a frog, but the Oriental fire-bellied toad does not have an eardrum or a special sac to make sounds louder. They make calls by inhaling (breathing in). The males' soft mating calls are similar to those of other fire-bellied toads.
When calling, males try to space out their sounds. This way, different toads don't call over each other. Female toads are quickly drawn to the mating calls. But they ignore other calls, showing they can tell the difference. Males usually ignore mating calls but will go towards other types of calls. Both males and females also need to see something to react. Besides their soft sounds, they can also make a croaking noise.
How They Protect Themselves
Oriental fire-bellied toads can scare away most predators with their poisonous skin. The bright colors on their undersides warn predators that they are dangerous. When a frog is bothered or scared, it releases a milky substance from its skin. This substance comes mostly from its back legs and sometimes its belly.
When they release this substance, the frogs might also lie on their backs. They show off their colorful bellies, lift their limbs, and arch their heads. This warns predators of the danger. However, this doesn't always work. Some birds and mammals eat them. Also, grass snakes and other water snakes are known to eat these toads without getting sick.
How Smart Are They?
Oriental fire-bellied toads learn quickly, especially compared to other frogs. In one experiment, slightly thirsty toads were able to solve simple and complex mazes to find water. Other types of frogs either didn't try or just jumped around without a plan.
In a simple T-shaped maze, where the water was on the right side, 80% of the toads found their way in just three days. All of them finished after four days. The left side was harder. 80% finished in three days, but the rest took until day eight. This shows they are quite good at learning and remembering.
Their Conservation Status
The Oriental fire-bellied toad is listed as a "least concern" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This means there is little threat of them dying out. However, their population is going down, but not very quickly.
They live in many protected areas in China and Korea, and in six nature reserves in Russia. The toads in Russia might be more at risk than others. Dangers to these toads include pollution, cities growing bigger, and being used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Keeping Them as Pets
Bombina orientalis are fairly easy to care for as pets. They don't need special lights or heating. They readily eat insects or small fish that are given to them.
You should be careful when handling them. Their skin mucus is harmless to your skin, but it can make your mouth and eyes uncomfortable. However, pet toads are usually less poisonous than wild ones. The toxin is not a big danger to human health. In captivity, Oriental fire-bellied toads often live for about 12 years. Some can even live up to 30 years!
