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Fire Bellied Toad.... The Fire Bellied Toad is one of the most widely kept species of toad. Easy to keep and maintain makes them a great beginners amphibian. 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.
Are Fire Bellied Toads easy to keep? YES, they are not very demanding! Fire-bellied toads are semi-aquatic amphibians that should be provided with both land and water area, I prefer the 40/60 land and water. Generally, the land area should compose roughly one half to two thirds of the cage space, and should contain hiding spots such as cork bark, driftwood, rocks, and live or fake plants. If gravel is used as 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 at least 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.
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Caution: When providing water for your amphibians, this MUST be treated with an Aquarium de-chlorinated solution. The Chlorine will harm and possible kill your amphibians after a period of time. Alternatively, you can use shop bought bottled water or fresh, clean rainwater.
Temperature: Fire-bellied toads are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures which is one of the reasons they make good captives. Normal daytime temperatures should range from 22 deg C to 26 deg C(72F to 78F) , and can drop at night. Cool temperatures are tolerated well, and occasional drops down to 16 deg C (60F ) don’t present a problem. Avoid temperatures above 29 deg C (85F) . A low wattage incandescent light bulb can be placed over the land section of the cage during the day to create a warm area for the toads, you don't need to heat the water.
Food: Fire-bellied toads have a large appetite for their relatively small size. Live crickets should make up the majority of their diet, with other food items such as wax worms, earth worms, black worms, and small silkworms being substituted for crickets every few feedings. Few toads will recognize pre-killed food, so all food items must be alive when offered. A feeding schedule of two to six feeders per toad every two to three days usually works well. Juvenile animals should be fed more often in small quantities. It’s important that any uneaten food or dead feeders be removed from the cage as soon as they are noticed. Adult fire-bellied toads should have their food coated with high quality reptile vitamin and mineral supplements once every two to four feedings. Juveniles should have their food supplemented as often as every feeding. |
