The Oriental fire-bellied toad is a small East Asian frog with a bright green back and a red-orange belly, and it's a popular pet in the US. In the wild it lives only in Korea, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East, so it doesn't live wild in the US. When threatened, it arches its back to flash its warning-colored belly and oozes a mildly toxic, milky skin secretion.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 1.5–2 in (3.8–5.1 cm) long. The back is green or grayish-brown with black blotches and small bumps; the belly is yellow to red-orange with dark spots, and the fingertips and toe tips are often red. Despite the name, it is not a true toad.
- Voice
- Males give a soft, light call. It has no eardrum or vocal sac and makes its call while breathing in.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Slow streams
- Ponds
- Forests
- Range
- Native to Korea, northeastern China, and far southeastern Russia. In the US it's seen only as a pet; escaped toads have turned up in Broward County, Florida, but no wild population has become established.
- Preferred conditions
- Semi-aquatic, living in slow-moving streams and ponds near conifer and broadleaf forest, up to about 3,600 ft (1,100 m).
Behavior
- Diet
- Adults eat small land invertebrates such as worms, snails, and insects. It can't flick its tongue out like many frogs, so it lunges at prey instead.
Life cycle
- Breeding season
- Breeding begins around mid-May in its native range, after the toads come out of hibernation.
- Clutch size
- 40–110 eggs
- Larva
- Tadpoles grow legs after 6–8 weeks and finish turning into froglets by August or September.
- Lifespan
- About 12 years in captivity, sometimes up to 30.
Growing it
- Care
- A popular, fairly easy pet kept in a half-water, half-land tank. A tight lid is needed to prevent escapes.
- Toxicity
- When disturbed, it releases a milky skin secretion containing mild toxins. It's not considered a real danger to people, but it can irritate the eyes and mouth, so wash your hands after handling one. Wild toads are more toxic than captive ones because toxicity is linked to diet.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- A 2018 genetic study traced the deadly amphibian to East Asia, with the most ancestral strains in Korea. Asian strains were found in pet Oriental fire-bellied toads, supporting the idea that the international pet trade helped spread the disease worldwide.
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