Fire Belly Toad
General Care
Oriental fire bellied toads are hardy little toads that are suitable for beginners. They are not difficult to care for, although they do take a fair amount of work to maintain. Native to southern and southeastern Asia, they are noted for their bright green and black coloration on their backs, and brilliant orange and black on their underside. These bright colors serve as a warning to predators (as in "I'm toxic!"). While not the most toxic of amphibians, regular handling is not recommended (avoid if there are cuts on your hands) and your hands should always be washed thoroughly immediately after touching the frog (or cleaning the tank for that matter). It is not recommended to house these toads with other species due to potential toxicity problems, though. Regular cleaning and water changes will help keep the toxins from building up in the tank.
Cage
A standard fifteen gallon aquarium that measures 24 inches long by 12 inches wide by 12 inches high (61 cm by 30 cm by 30 cm) is large enough for a group of five adult toads. Use a secure screen cover to prevent escapes while providing ventilation.
Fire-bellied toads are semi-aquatic amphibians that should be provided with both a land and water area. The land area can compose roughly one half to two thirds of the floor area, and should contain hide spots such as cork bark, driftwood, rocks, and live or fake plants. If gravel is used to create a land area, it should be covered with large river rocks, soil, java moss, or sheet moss to prevent the toads from swallowing gravel during feedings. Fire-bellied rarely swim underwater, and prefer to float at the surface or near a shoreline. The water depth should gradually slope to 3 inches (7.6 cm), although deeper water can be provided. Pieces of driftwood, aquatic plants, and rocks can be placed in deep water to allow the toads to easily find a land area if needed.
A simple way to create a semi-aquatic setup in a small aquarium is to use a large water dish for a water area. The dish can be as simplistic as a plastic storage container, but large commercially available reptile and amphibian water dishes can be used instead. This dish can be submerged into a safe soil substrate, such as coconut husk fiber (bed-a-beast, forest bed, eco earth, etc.), to provide easy access to the water. In the water dish, a large rock or two can be placed on one end to provide a gentle slope out of the water onto land. Because the volume of water is small in this type of housing, it can become fouled quickly, and for this reason the water dish may need to be changed daily. This style of housingis only practical for small aquariums because it can be difficult to lift larger containers of water needed for larger enclosures.
Feeding
These toads need to eat 2 to 3 times a week. The Fire Bellied Toads are not particular on their food…if it moves and they can catch it, they will happily eat it. They do need movement to recognize food, so they will not eat dead food sources. Crickets, worms and other small creepy crawlies form the bulk of the toad’s diet. They have been known to eat small fish like guppies. They can recognize routine –if you feed them at the same time every day you’ll start to find them waiting for their lunch. Any uneaten prey should be removed from the enclosure the next day to prevent dead insects from polluting the toad’s environment. Every-other feeding we suggest you sprinkle a little calcium or multivitamin powder onto the bugs before you drop them into the habitat.
These toads don’t have extendible tongues like most frogs and toads- instead they grab their prey with their mouths. Then they use their front legs to push their victims into their mouths.
Temperature
Toads are cold-blooded, meaning they can’t regulate their body temperature on their own. A heater is not usually necessary as these toads are comfortable in room temperature, but if your home is cold you should consider a small heat light for extra warmth.
Humidity
These toads like high humidity. You can help keep the humidity high by using a plant mister to spray the habitat with water once a day or more. Air conditioners lower the humidity of the room so if you have one on, you must give your toad’s habitat a few more sprays of water to make sure he doesn’t get dehydrated. Coconut Husk bedding is good to use because it helps to retain moisture in the habitat.
Cleaning
Make sure the habitat is always clean. If you move the toad into another container to clean his habitat, gently lift him with your fingers being careful not to poke, pinch or squeeze him. You must also be very careful when you clean your Fire Bellied Toad’s habitat. They are extremely sensitive to soaps and detergents. Using only hot water rinse the habitat and décor. Remove dirty substrate bits or replace the entire substrate. Always wash your hands after handling the habitat contents.
Oriental fire bellied toads are hardy little toads that are suitable for beginners. They are not difficult to care for, although they do take a fair amount of work to maintain. Native to southern and southeastern Asia, they are noted for their bright green and black coloration on their backs, and brilliant orange and black on their underside. These bright colors serve as a warning to predators (as in "I'm toxic!"). While not the most toxic of amphibians, regular handling is not recommended (avoid if there are cuts on your hands) and your hands should always be washed thoroughly immediately after touching the frog (or cleaning the tank for that matter). It is not recommended to house these toads with other species due to potential toxicity problems, though. Regular cleaning and water changes will help keep the toxins from building up in the tank.
Cage
A standard fifteen gallon aquarium that measures 24 inches long by 12 inches wide by 12 inches high (61 cm by 30 cm by 30 cm) is large enough for a group of five adult toads. Use a secure screen cover to prevent escapes while providing ventilation.
Fire-bellied toads are semi-aquatic amphibians that should be provided with both a land and water area. The land area can compose roughly one half to two thirds of the floor area, and should contain hide spots such as cork bark, driftwood, rocks, and live or fake plants. If gravel is used to create a land area, it should be covered with large river rocks, soil, java moss, or sheet moss to prevent the toads from swallowing gravel during feedings. Fire-bellied rarely swim underwater, and prefer to float at the surface or near a shoreline. The water depth should gradually slope to 3 inches (7.6 cm), although deeper water can be provided. Pieces of driftwood, aquatic plants, and rocks can be placed in deep water to allow the toads to easily find a land area if needed.
A simple way to create a semi-aquatic setup in a small aquarium is to use a large water dish for a water area. The dish can be as simplistic as a plastic storage container, but large commercially available reptile and amphibian water dishes can be used instead. This dish can be submerged into a safe soil substrate, such as coconut husk fiber (bed-a-beast, forest bed, eco earth, etc.), to provide easy access to the water. In the water dish, a large rock or two can be placed on one end to provide a gentle slope out of the water onto land. Because the volume of water is small in this type of housing, it can become fouled quickly, and for this reason the water dish may need to be changed daily. This style of housingis only practical for small aquariums because it can be difficult to lift larger containers of water needed for larger enclosures.
Feeding
These toads need to eat 2 to 3 times a week. The Fire Bellied Toads are not particular on their food…if it moves and they can catch it, they will happily eat it. They do need movement to recognize food, so they will not eat dead food sources. Crickets, worms and other small creepy crawlies form the bulk of the toad’s diet. They have been known to eat small fish like guppies. They can recognize routine –if you feed them at the same time every day you’ll start to find them waiting for their lunch. Any uneaten prey should be removed from the enclosure the next day to prevent dead insects from polluting the toad’s environment. Every-other feeding we suggest you sprinkle a little calcium or multivitamin powder onto the bugs before you drop them into the habitat.
These toads don’t have extendible tongues like most frogs and toads- instead they grab their prey with their mouths. Then they use their front legs to push their victims into their mouths.
Temperature
Toads are cold-blooded, meaning they can’t regulate their body temperature on their own. A heater is not usually necessary as these toads are comfortable in room temperature, but if your home is cold you should consider a small heat light for extra warmth.
Humidity
These toads like high humidity. You can help keep the humidity high by using a plant mister to spray the habitat with water once a day or more. Air conditioners lower the humidity of the room so if you have one on, you must give your toad’s habitat a few more sprays of water to make sure he doesn’t get dehydrated. Coconut Husk bedding is good to use because it helps to retain moisture in the habitat.
Cleaning
Make sure the habitat is always clean. If you move the toad into another container to clean his habitat, gently lift him with your fingers being careful not to poke, pinch or squeeze him. You must also be very careful when you clean your Fire Bellied Toad’s habitat. They are extremely sensitive to soaps and detergents. Using only hot water rinse the habitat and décor. Remove dirty substrate bits or replace the entire substrate. Always wash your hands after handling the habitat contents.