posted by admin on Jan 30
If you are considering taking on some fire-bellied toads - then read on:
There amphibians are one of the easier amphibian species to take on for a first time keeper - but are still great fun for the more experienced; and are great to look at.
With their ‘plain’ back colouring, they look like a piece of swamp grass or soggy leaf - until they lift up their legs and leap away! Their undersides are brightly coloured - showing bright red swirls and flashes!
Small in size, friendly in nature and able to live at room temperature - they hardly little leapers couldn’t be easier to cater for!
Basic Care:
They will live quite happily in a decent sized vivarium in a warm room with access to daylight or a light (not heat) emitting lamp. I do have a heat wire running under their water - as they don’t like to take a dip in the cold!
For my 4 toads, I have a 2ft by 1.5ft by 1ft vivarium, which is ample. They have a submerged water tray in the centre with substrate and bark chips on top and around the water. There are also some bromiliad-like plants buried in this substrate which they love to hide in.
There is also a large piece of cork floating half in and half out of the water for them to hide under and use to climb in and out of their warm pool - as well as several smaller bark chips floating on the surface for them to hold onto.
They absolutely love to just float in the water with 1 foot on the bark and then hide under the log in the daytime. And 1 of mine just lives withing the leaves of the plant - only coming down to eat!
Feeding Time:
Being quite small, they need to feed on a smaller prey species - and it has to be alive. These toads will often reject food that isn’t moving and one of mine was sitting within millimeters of a tiny locust for 30 minutes before it twitched its leg and was gobbled up in a second!
They just love wax worms - and they are greedy little monsters too with one of mine eating 4 wax worms in a row! I just didn’t think he has the space inside him as he was my smallest!
There is no sharing at the dinner table - so when I feed I have to put in more than necessary otherwise some might not get anything to eat at all!
However, if they aren’t submerged in the water, under a log or in the plants - they will take these wax worms out of your hand if they are hungry - which is nearly all the time! A great sight!
Toads Will Be Toads:
As will all toads, they do have toxic chemicals in their scent glands which appear like a small bow-tie on the back of their necks. These glands on my toads help me to identify them as some are brown, some bright green and others barely visible.
Due to these glands, it is best to always wash your hands after handling your toads, and to keep the water very clean and these toxins wash off into the water and can make your toads poorly! And don’t forget to treat the water first anyway with a suitable water conditioner
Now go grab your camera and take some great shots of their fire bellies!