Oriental Fire Bellied Toad - Bombina orientalis
Habitat:
Mixed coniferous: broad-leaved forests; spruce, pine or leafed forests; open meadows; river valleys and swampy bushlands
Range:
Northeastern China, Korea, Southern Japan and the Southern parts of Russia
Activity Cycle:
Nocturnal and diurnal
Features:
Brown-grey to grey-greenish or bright green in color with dark spots and warts along its backside with a red to red-orange to yellow smooth belly with dark spots. Unlike other toads, its pupil of its eye is triangular and they do not have a tympanie membrane.
Size:
Maximum of two inches
Social Structure:
Communal
Life Expectancy:
Approximately 20 years
Diet:
Worms, mollusks and insects
Reproduction:
Occurs May to mid-August; breeding pairs are formed randomly with females laying clutches of 30-250 eggs. Embryonic and larval development takes about two months with hatching occurring from early June to late July. Metamorphosis from tadpole to toad is usually completed by the end of August or September.
Status:
Least concern, one of the most common amphibians in their range.
Interesting Facts:
- When threatened by predators, it will exhibit the “unken reflex” by arching its back and limbs to expose the bright belly and may even turn over on its back. Their skin toxins are distasteful to other animals and predators.
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