The Oriental fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis ) is a small semiaquatic frog species found in northeastern Asia, where they primarily dwell in slow-moving bodies of water and temperate forests. Quite common throughout much of their range, these frogs have mild toxins that can be excreted through their skin, with their vibrant underbellies serving as a warning of this. While not a true toad, their green and black skin is covered in small tubercles, giving them a toadlike appearance. Their sounds, mainly produced by males during the mating season, are very unlike those of other frogs. While their population is in decline, their numbers are still high overall, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rating them as a least-concern species. They are commonly kept as pets in land and water vivaria, as a relatively easy-to-care for species. They are also frequently used in scientific research, with their behavior, vocalizations, and learning skills all moderately studied.
According to the American Museum of Natural History, the red-bellied toad, Chinese bell toad, Oriental bell toad, eastern fire-bellied toad, and Korean fire-bellied toad are all common names that have been used to describe the species at one point or another.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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MolluscivoreA molluscivore is a carnivorous animal that specializes in feeding on molluscs such as gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Known mo...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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JumpingJumping (saltation) can be distinguished from running, galloping, and other gaits where the entire body is temporarily airborne by the relatively l...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Semiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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PolygamyPolygamy is the practice of breeding with multiple partners. When a male breeds with more than one female at the same time – it is called polygyny....
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VenomousVenom is a type of poison, especially one secreted by an animal. It is delivered in a bite, sting, or similar action. Venom has evolved in terrestr...
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withOriental fire-bellied toads can be bright, grayish, or brownish green, with black mottling on their dorsal regions. Like other Bombina species, B. orientalis has a brightly colored ventral region, which can be yellow, red, or orange-red, mottled with dark spots. The finger and toe tips are usually red. The skin on its upper side is covered in small tubercles, the most pronounced of the genus Bombina. Although it is typically referred to as a toad, the fire-bellied toad is not a true toad. They can reach a length of about 3.8–5.1 centimetres (1.5–2.0 in), weighing about 28–57 grams (0.99–2.01 oz). Males and females can be told apart by the males' nuptial pads on their first and second fingers.
Besides having more noticeable tubercles on their skin, B. orientalis can also be distinguished from other members of Bombina by their lack of gular sacs (like B. pachypus and unlike B. bombina ) and nuptial pads (like B. bombina and unlike B. pachypus, although later research has shown that males do in fact have a few, as previously mentioned). Subtler differences include their belly coloration, which is typically more red than yellow (unlike B. pachypus ) and bright finger tips (unlike B. bombina ).
The toad can be found in Korea, northeastern Russia, (where they have become rather rare) and northeastern China, and possibly southern Japan, specifically Tsushima Strait, although the latter is very likely erroneous, as a team of Japanese researchers in the later half of the 20th century was unable to locate any. There is also a somewhat genetically distinct population in Beijing that was introduced from Yantai in Shandong in 1927 by Mr. Liu Cheng-chao. About 200 were released into wetland habitats, where they later bred. There have been multiple reports of escaped specimens in Broward County, Florida, US, mostly in the immediate vicinity of an animal importer's facility. There have been no other reports of such occurrences in the United States, and there are no well-established escaped populations.
They are semiaquatic, generally dwelling in slow-moving streams or ponds. When out of the water, they can often be found in coniferous and broadleaved forests. They can be found at elevations of up to 1,100 metres (3,600 ft). They are very resilient to environmental disturbance, especially compared to other amphibians, and as such can be found living and even breeding in heavily polluted water.
Bombina orientalis are one of the most plentiful amphibians in their native lands, particularly the central part of their range. The toads are diurnal (active during the day), and studies have found that while they can acquire some from their diet, Oriental fire-bellied toads rely partly on sunlight to obtain adequate levels of vitamin D3.
As larvae, Oriental fire-bellied toads consume algae, fungi, detritus, plants and protozoans. As adults, their diet consists of terrestrial invertebrates, including worms, molluscs and insects. Their diet in the wild contributes to their toxicity, and for that reason, wild specimens have more potent toxins. Oriental fire-bellied toads are incapable of extending their tongues to catch prey, but must instead leap at their target.
Breeding takes place around mid-May, when temperatures become warmer. It is at this time that the toads emerge from hibernation. Males call to the females with a light sound that is comparable to a musical triangle. They will jump onto the backs of any other fire-bellied toad that happens to pass by, which in some cases will cause them to accidentally attempt to mate with other species of amphibians, fish, plants, or even human fingers. Females lay 40 to 110 eggs in a large cluster near the surface of the water. The tadpoles begin to develop legs in 6–8 weeks, and are fully metamorphosed by August or September.
The oriental fire-bellied toad was listed as least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with little threat of extinction, although the population is declining, but not at a significant rate. They occur in many protected areas in China and the Koreas, as well as six Russian nature reserves. The population in the Russian part of their range may be more threatened than others. Dangers include pollution, urbanization, and use in traditional Chinese medicine.
