I have updated my fbt caresheet, most differences are in layout and the breeding section
enjoy
[SIZE=12pt]The firebelly toad, Bombina orientalis, is a small (2-3 inch) toad native to eastern Asia, found from southern China up to Korea and possibly Russia. Their natural habitat is woodland areas surrounding permanent bodies of water. These toads are a very primitive species of amphibian, perhaps the most primitive in culture, and are a very popular and easy pet. These toads are very forgiving and can tolerate a wide range of care conditions and have relatively basic needs. These toads get their name for the red color of their underside, which indicates poison. These toads are mildly toxic, but it does not harm humans unless the toad is ingested. It should be known however, that some people are allergic to these toads, and the toxins will make open cuts sting very badly, and if hands are not washed after handling, don’t be surprised at a sour taste after touching or your lips (I know this because I handled a few, then, without washing my hands, stuck a finger in a jar of frosting and when I put it in my mouth I could taste the liquidly toxins). I would not be overly concerned about the toxins though, unless you are allergic or eat a large quantity, they are not dangerous. It should be noted that pets such as cats or dogs and small children should not have access to these toads because they do not recognize the fact that these toads are poisonous to eat. In the wild, these toads, if on land, will flip and reveal their red undersides if threatened to scare off potential predators. This is known as the unken reflex, unken being German for toad. Captive individuals lose this instinct and eventually become tame around humans, particularly if they associate the presence of a human with food. With proper care these toads have been known to live up to 20 years, but a more average lifespan is 5-10 years, and keep in mind a good percentage of these toads in pet stores are wild caught, and they may already be 2-6 years old or even older in some cases. These toads make wonderful pets and are an enjoyment for anyone.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Obtaining a Toad:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] These toads are very common in pet stores and anyone can go to a local store and pick one up. However, randomly going to a store and picking up just any toad is careless. You want to look for a healthy specimen that will give you years of enjoyment. Avoid unreasonable prices for these toads, since they are incredibly common and low maintenance, avoid paying more than $15 for one, and a reasonable price range is between 4 and 10 dollars. If you choose to obtain some through an online site be sure they have a good reputation for selling healthy animals, since you cannot examine a specimen bought through the internet. This does not necessarily mean a pet store is any better. I’ve seen very unhealthy toads at pet stores before. Just because these toads don’t require a whole lot of care doesn’t mean they will do well with long term neglect (they will, however, do fine for about 1 week at less than ideal conditions, and are very resilient). A healthy toad should have vivid colors, clear and wide open eyes, a dark, heart shaped pupil, moist, unbroken skin, is plump, alert, and active. I would avoid any stores who have skinny, discolored (a chocolate brown is not bad, but merely a variation) or blotchy looking toads. If there are dead animals in the cage (particularly if they are dead in the water area of the holding cage), you should avoid buying from the supplier. Avoid anyone who doesn’t guarantee the animals (I buy from petsmart usually, and they guarantee the animals for 2 full weeks, but in recent years they haven’t taken particularly good care of them). Also, no bones or bumps should be visible underneath the skin. The toad also should be able to coordinate its movements properly and balance itself properly in water (if it tilts to one side or has problems swimming it could be malnutrition or a spinal injury sustained by another animal). Also, when picked up or held the toad should vigorously try to get free (a good test would be to form a cup with your hands and lightly hold it and see if it tries to free itself from your grasp, but be gentle so it doesn’t harm itself). Lastly, the toad should not have any discharge coming from any areas of its body unless it’s defecating. The feces should be dark, round, firm, and consistent. Any misshape, red or discoloration, or runniness can be a cause for alarm. To see the stool, put it in a small cage with moist paper towels on the bottom, and within about a day it should defecate.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Before you obtain your toad, be sure to have a cage set up for it and be sure you are able to care for it for its lifespan, which may last 10 years or more. These toads are active and like to explore, and don’t be alarmed if the toad is more interested in half-destroying the new environment and exploring than it is in eating. It can take 2-3 days for a new animal to begin eating again, and as long as it was a healthy weight when it was obtained, it should be fine between meals.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Housing:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Before purchasing one or more healthy individuals, you need to set up a cage for the toads. They can survive several days in a small, ventilated cage with moist paper towels on the floor in case you haven’t yet set up a permanent cage for them. A single toad can do fine in a clear 5 gallon Rubbermaid or sterilite bin, provided the lid fits right and is properly ventilated (middle cut out and replaced with mosquito netting or mesh), and a 10 gallon fish tank can house up to 6 fully grown toads. These toads are very hardy and can tolerate a wide range of setups. A cage with a few inches of moist peat moss, a small water bowl, and fake plants or vines is a good, simple setup for them. You can even add live plants that have minimal light requirements and that are free of any fertilizers and pesticides. Sphagnum moss also works well, but it should be rinsed with hot water to prevent attracting of fungus gnats, and both mosses are readily available as bricks at pet stores, and adding a gallon of water expands them. Another option is the half land, half water cage. This is accomplished with rinsed aquarium gravel, and the land area has a taller pile of gravel so when you add about 2-4 inches of water to the tank, about half of the tank worth of gravel juts out of the water. Be sure to cover the land gravel with moss so the toads don’t accidentally ingest it, which can kill them. A third option is the mainly aquatic option, with a thin layer of gravel on the bottom of the tank, 3-6 inches of water, fake or live plants, and a fake rock, Lilly pad, or other object sticking out of the water to serve as land. Anything in between any of the 3 setups also works. It mainly depends on your taste and budget, but the most important points are no chemicals, a moist environment with at least a small swimming area, shelter, and temperatures between 68 and 74 degrees, which can be accomplished with a small light (do not place directly on plastic lids and be sure the toads can’t directly touch the bulb) over the cage. Also, the water should be rain water or spring water (at a grocery store, a gallon jug of spring water can cost less than a dollar), as tap water has too many minerals and chlorine and distilled water is too pure and can cause problems with the toads’ fluid intake and possibly blood pressure (remember the concept of diffusion). Any visible waste (shed skin, dead insects, feces) should be removed when it is seen and every 6 months everything should be taken out, rinsed, moss replaced, and cleaned well (use hot water only, no soap or chemicals). Once a year replace gravel. I typically use the mostly aquatic setup and once a month I stir up the gravel to loosen up the waste, then I use a fine beta net and a pipette to remove the now floating waste and every 4-6 months I rinse everything and clean it well. If the toads are actively spawning (will get to this later) it’s a good idea to wait until all eggs hatch before doing too much cleaning to avoid harming them. It is not a good idea to house other species with these toads, mainly because of the toad’s toxins. If you do house something with the toads, be sure both animals are similar sizes so they don’t try and eat each other. I have housed treefrogs with these toads without a problem since the toads can handle a mossy cage and the treefrogs stay off the ground unless feeding and they don’t have too much contact with each other so they don’t absorb each other’s secretions. Just be sure to meet both species’ needs and make sure that they both eat enough.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Feeding:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Firebelly toads are eager eaters and will go after any invertebrate they can swallow (they will sometimes bite each other’s feet, but it is not something to worry about unless one toad is significantly larger than the other). Fully grown toads need only to be fed 2-3 times a week and can go up to 3 weeks without food in summer. If you have to go away on a short vacation, just be sure to feed the toads up well before you leave and they will be fine. Crickets are a fairly good staple diet, they are easy to care for and gut load. Crickets do have a few disadvantages, such as their noises, odor, death rate, expensiveness, and their potential to bite your toad. Crickets are good if you have only a few toads, as you can easily buy about 100 crickets, which will last you about 5 weeks, though if you have a large number or are looking for a better feeder option, roaches are great. Crickets and roaches can be kept in similar ways. For crickets, I take a small bin (or a large bin for higher quantities, 10 adult crickets need about 1 gallon of bin space and an 18-20 gallon bin can house a few thousand cricket nymphs up to a half inch size). I place cardboard egg crate for climbing surfaces, add the crickets, cover the container and store it in a cool, shady location in the house. I will feed the crickets different fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oranges, bananas, and apples. Carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other hard vegetables should be placed in microwave bowls with water and microwaved 8-10 minutes or until softened. Apples should be chopped up, and bananas/oranges/citrus should be peeled. Food should be removed before or just as mold forms. If you feed the toads every 3 days, 100 crickets, assuming you have 2 toads, and every cricket survives to be food, you should be set for about 5½ weeks. Keep in mind cricket prices are rising from the virus that is killing them off, and they add up after so many months, though a new cricket species is common now and is resistant to disease. Crickets don’t need much else, as long as food is fresh, no extra water is needed, but water gels can be used. There are varying opinions on how much protein the crickets will need, I would offer larger crickets fish flakes or something because they are somewhat cannibalistic, but very small crickets (under half an inch) don’t need extra protein. If you choose to hibernate the toads, then that’s 3 months you don’t need crickets for, but this will stimulate spawning (will get to this later).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Roaches are my preferred feeder insect. Not only are they inexpensive and disease free, they can be bred for a continuous supply of food. I use an 18 gallon Rubbermaid container with a ventilated lid. Lobster roaches, Nauphoeta cinerea, are an excellent feeder roach. I set up the bin with a shallow substrate of moist peat moss (an inch works-I use it just because in such a large bin with under tank heating, it gets dry really fast. I don’t do this with crickets because they are kept at room temperature and their humidity is usually fine) and a few layers of egg crate and I buy 100 mixed roaches. As a bonus, since the adult roaches are too big for the toads to eat, you can leave all adults in the colony to reproduce and feed off smaller babies. Also, they are tropical insects from the Caribbean that need warm temperatures to survive and if a few get loose they will not be a problem, crickets are more problematic if they get loose than tropical roach species (I only use tropical roaches that are no problem if they escape, and rarely have escapees since they hang out with the other roaches due to the smell of their roach relatives-humans typically cannot smell roaches). These roaches climb plastic so be sure to have a tight lid on the cage and rub Crisco along the upper edges so they can’t climb to the lid. I keep these on heat rope (I have the heat rope on plywood, plugged into a rheostat, set on high, and I just have the bin on this). As long as the heat rope is secure (so it can’t get loose and touch itself), it won’t melt the plastic bin. I would avoid excessive feeding of a starting roach colony (let at least half the nymphs reach adulthood and breed for about 2 months), though usually plenty of extra roaches are shipped and you can afford to feed off about 20 or so. A colony with less than 200 roaches can be kept in a 3-5 gallon bin under an infrared bulb so it grows faster. With both feeder insects be sure to keep the cages clean and food constant and fresh. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] In order to maintain their red bellies, these toads need carotene in the food they eat. This can usually be achieved by gut loading feeder insects with things such as carrots, peppers, mango, oranges, sweet potato, and other fruits and vegetables full of beta carotene and other carotenoids, but many tropical fish flakes with color enhancers also help. Things such as bloodworms and brine shrimp also help maintain the red color and buying frozen ones that you then thaw and wave in front of the toad with long feeding tongs is worthwhile. Not only does this help simulate the diet they would have in the wild but will help improve your relationship with your fairly smart, long lived, amphibious friend. Repashy’s superpig is a pigment supplement dust that can be used once a week to enhance the colors of the toads as well. Not every feeding they get needs to contain carotenes. As treats, waxworms, maggots, silkworms, small earthworms, and hornworms are nice feeders. Be sure to feed the toad things not much larger than the head size, as they swallow prey whole. Large adults will slurp down earthworms up to 3 times their body length though I would chop the worm up before using them for food.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Adult firebellies need food every 3-4 days, though in some cases should receive more. Also, younger ones need food every other day (most people say every day but I find really young toadlets don’t have that kind of appetite, they do build an appetite as they develop); otherwise they will not be properly nourished and will be undersized adults. At the very least, calcium dust should be used. I put the dust in a small cup and swirl insects around in it before feeding them to the toads. Then I tilt the cup and when the insects crawl out of the dust, I tap them into the tank. The dust shouldn’t be allowed to pour into the tank in large quantities. I also use vitamin dust, though it should not be used more than twice a week (unless needed) to avoid overdosing the toads on it. I use dust every feeding so the toads get extra benefits from eating. It may take a few weeks for the toads to get used to the taste of the dust but they will eventually be used to it.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Breeding:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] If you have been keeping these toads for a few years and decide you really like them and wish to breed them, you will find it relatively easy to do so. However, do not just breed any animal for the sake of breeding them. Keep in mind firebelly toads produce hundreds of young and you may be responsible for all of those. If you are only looking for a few more, it is a better idea to just buy a couple more at the pet store. If you really do want to study their life cycle and grow your own, just keep in mind it is a lot of work and can be difficult. You won’t make much money if you sell them, and unless you live in their native region, they cannot be released into the wild. I will mention that an advantage to breeding these toads in captivity is that a captive breeding program for this species can be established, producing healthier individuals and reducing independence on wild populations for specimens. I was 15 when I first bred these toads, so if a 15 year old can breed this species, most people can.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] You are ethically obligated to care for the young that you decided to bring into the world, so keep these things in mind before and while you put forth a breeding plan. Another aspect of responsible breeding is the fact that only healthy, fully mature individuals should be put through such a demanding process and inbreeding should be avoided at all costs. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Breeding these toads can prove difficult in the sense of obtaining males and females. Since about 90% of this species’ population is male, it can prove difficult to find one or two females that you can use. Compared to females, males are slightly smaller and often have bumpier backs, though this isn’t the most reliable method. Males have thicker forearms and nuptial pads, but these differences are hardly distinctive and they are difficult to differentiate. Just picking a huge, fat toad out of a pet store does not guarantee it to be female. Males do behave differently than females. They make more noise (though an unreceptive female will make a frantic vibrating chirping sound when grabbed; males accidentally grabbed will make the same sound), which is anything from a soft tink to an almost ape like holler. Also, when in a cage with a few inches of water, males will grab and attempt to mate with passing toads quite often. Sooner than later you will notice this, and since only males do this, if you have a toad that never grabs another toad and you’ve had it for a good 2 months, it’s a safe bet its female. My female often times is always round even when the males are skinny and they haven’t eaten in weeks (such as after hibernating) and she hogs the food sometimes. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The more toads you have, the better, though I had success with a group of 3 males and 1 female, it is ideal to have twice that number. The more crowded the better in the breeding season. The only caution I have is not to have a huge over accumulation of males and only 1 female, anything more than 3 males to 1 female is a safety danger, as many males attempting to mate with a single female can severely injure her, I had this happen to a small female and she sustained a spinal injury she never recovered from. Another option is to buy some from an online site that will sex adults for you, they are more experienced and are usually accurate. The only disadvantage to this is shipping is stressful, expensive, and you cannot examine the specimen you receive before purchasing. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] After you have 1 or 2 females and 3-6 males to go with them, you must begin to condition them to breed. First, make a peak daylight of 16 hours, which should be done in early July (if it gets cold in the winter in your area this helps). A timer used for lamps and other electrical devices works well for this, just attach it to the lamp over the cage. Every 2 weeks decrease the daylight by half an hour and feed the toads very well, making sure to supplement meals. Start letting the water level drop, and when the toads have about 12½ hours of daylight, they will lose interest in food and act more sluggish. This is a good sign. Make sure they were loaded up with food and are nice and plump. Feeding them waxworms helps them bulk up. If you had peak daylight the first week of July, it should be late October/early November now. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Take the toads and place them in a small tank with 5 inches of moist sphagnum moss and place it in a cool area that doesn’t get warmer than 60 degrees but no cooler than about 55, though they can tolerate temps as low as 48 for SHORT periods of time (I know this on account of a winter storm/power outage that drastically cooled down my house and they were fine). I use the closet in my room, since it juts out of the house and is a bit cooler than my room in winter (see why it is a good idea to hibernate them in sync with your region’s winter?) but any other closet in my upstairs works and one leads up to an unheated attic so it gets nice and cool, but be careful so it doesn’t get too cold. Unheated sheds work as long as they are insulated a bit and garages can also be used but exhaust from a car may harm them. If your fridge is set between 55 and 60 degrees (mini fridges may work if you don’t want to do this to a whole big fridge), you can put them in that but be sure they don’t dry up. They don’t need much daylight (I usually remove them from the hibernation location for a few minutes once a week, and every month for an hour so I can tweezer offer each toad a waxworm or 2), and barely lighting them at all really helps convince them it’s winter. They may burrow, they may not, but they don’t move too much, which is nothing to be concerned about. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] After about 12 weeks, it is a good idea to set up the big tank again so they can awaken. Get gravel (white gravel makes it easy to see eggs) and make a deep end and a shallow end in the tank. The deep end should be 2 inches deeper than the shallow end and cover about ¾ of the tank. In the deep end I put plenty of plants (both real ones with minimal light needs and fake ones that like neglect) and fill the tank with 1½ inches of water and add the toads. I cover the exposed gravel with paper toweling so it does not get ingested. The shallow end has a large fake rock/cave ornament, which seems useless now but in a few weeks will be useful. I give them 13 hours of daylight the day they come out of hibernation, increasing by 30 minutes every other week. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The first two weeks they are out of hibernation, I feed them heavily daily and give them plenty of dusting supplements. As the weeks progress I add more water and floating aquatic plants. When the water levels are up to about 6 inches at the deepest end (see the use of the rock now?) and daylight hours are at 14½ to 15 (about 3-6 weeks after finishing hibernating), the toads should spawn. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The males will grasp toads any time they are in water, but unless he grabs a receptive female, nothing will occur. He may also grab plants and insects. Males often eat very little, and after the spawning ends their appetites will return to normal. Once he finds a receptive female the pair engages in amplexus. If the female just sits there and the male shakes his back legs invariably, spawning will occur. The female will not reject the male and during the night she will deposit eggs singly on plant matter. The eggs will be small half black half white balls about the size of the loop of a safety pin and will be encased in a double jelly membrane. They will eventually absorb the white portion and become tadpole shaped, and hatch in 4-8 days depending on temperature. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] 4 days later the tadpoles begin eating. Start them off with food low in protein, it’s healthier for them and helps them bulk up. I always remove tadpoles from the adult cage after they hatch, or I move the unhatched eggs, and put them in a separate, 5 gallon tank full of water. If you don’t, the adults may eat the tadpoles. The adults will more than likely spawn again, but don’t put the eggs in the tank full of tadpoles, as they may become quick snacks for the developed tadpoles. I often keep tadpoles separated by age, and I don’t overcrowd them. In a 5 gallon tank of water, I keep no more than 50 tadpoles in it-10 tadpoles per gallon is ideal. Keeping tadpoles under crowded is bad as well, since they may not eat properly, but overcrowded tadpoles will metamorphosize too quickly and will be undersized. Undersized toadlets have higher mortality, perhaps partially because of the food size smaller toadlets are able to handle, smaller foods mean less nutrients. I have observed that the first tadpoles to metamorphosize will be smaller than the last ones, and the last few tadpoles left behind display a major slow-down in growth. This adds to my theory that when they are overcrowded, they rush metamorphosis, and when under crowded, they grow too slow from not eating right. The best ways to combat these issues are to house them by age and keep them at densities of 10-15 per gallon of water.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] I keep the tadpoles at room temperature and put the tank next to the adults so the light reaches them. This means the eggs will grow faster when kept in the adult cage, and when they hatch I transfer them to the tadpole tank with a turkey baster. I start them out on algae wafers as well as blanched lettuce/collard greens mix. I lightly boil the greens for 8 minutes and chop them up. I store it in a bag in the freezer for safe keeping and when I need some I defrost it in a bowl of water, take what I need, and the rest goes back into the freezer. Young tadpoles (under 2 weeks old) only need daily feeding, but as they get older, a constant flow of food should be offered. They eat ravenously and grow rapidly. After about 3 weeks I start feeding them fish flakes. They will become toads in 4-9 weeks depending on the temperature and quality of food. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] When they start developing front legs they need land areas to climb up on. Even when they have front legs and tails, they will feed, unlike most frogs. The tadpole tanks will have rocks for emergent toadlets (though I let the toadlets stay with tadpoles until the tails are absorbed so they don’t dry up) and I will toss undusted fruitflies on the rock for the young toadlets. After the toadlets absorb the tails, they need to be removed, as young toadlets without tails are prone to drowning and tadpoles seem to like to eat fresh toadlets.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] I transfer toadlets to another 5 gallon bin (with ventilated lid and mesh under the entire top to prevent toadlets from getting feet stuck under the lid and drying up) with moist paper towels on the bottom. The paper towels will need to be changed daily and must stay moist. No water bowl should be given to the young toadlets as they are easily drowned. Toadlets shouldn’t be overcrowded (they bully each other out of food like crazy), they should be kept in densities of 20 toadlets per 5 gallons of space. The toadlets will be tiny and need to eat fruitflies for the first few weeks. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Fruitflies are easy to culture, you can obtain Drosophila hydei cultures very easily online and when the culture is about 3 weeks old you can take a medium apple, cut it up, blend it in a blender with vinegar, mix ¼ cup orange juice with ¼ cup organic plain oatmeal and stir the apple/vinegar and juice/oatmeal mixes together, add a tiny bit of honey and yeast, then place in the bottom of a 32oz deli cup. Add raffia straw and cover with a ventilated lid. In 1-2 days you can add 30 or so adult flies and in about 2 weeks the new culture will keep producing for you. The young toadlets will need to be fed food supplemented with carotenes so they develop red color, though it is difficult when using fruitflies. Also, please don’t use carotene dust until the toadlets are a few weeks old. It is more important that the toadlets get calcium and vitamin dust. Calcium dust sticks well to any feeder, and the toadlets grow faster with dust. The key is to get the toadlets past the fruitfly stage as quickly as possible; my personal record is 3 weeks. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Dusting tiny feeder insects with a carotene dust helps, gut loading pinhead crickets and tiny baby roaches with carotene filled food is also a good idea, but newly metamorphosized toadlets are too tiny for this. With the small toadlets I often will take a small cup and put some calcium or vitamin dust in it, pour fruitflies into it, then swirl it. The flies are then coated with the dust and I put the whole cup in the cage. When the flies crawl out of the cup they are eaten before the dust falls off. Be careful though as young toadlets are excellent climbers and if one climbs up the cup and falls into the dust, the dust will dehydrate the toadlet and kill it. I notice young toadlets often have issues catching prey and the sticky tongues are not developed so it is important to have small prey always available. Without dust, mortality will be high, between 12 and 30%. Most deaths occur between metamorphosis and sexual maturity, very few tadpoles die, but after about 3 months they seem to be more stable.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Without dust, all but about a dozen toadlets survived. The next year, supplements not only made adults breed more, about 60 toadlets survived to the stable stage (4-5 months after metamorphosis), with only about 30 deaths, mainly due to careless dehydration accidents on my part.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] At about 4 months old, virtually every toadlet still alive will survive and they can be fed thawed bloodworms off a toothpick, which helps them gain nutrients and pigments. After toadlets can eat bigger food than fruitflies (very young crickets and roaches), the bottom of the bins can be furnished with moist peat moss, which makes cleaning easier and I feel the soil is beneficial for the digestive systems of the toadlets. I would use crickets for younger toadlets, since it seems the shape of roaches makes them hard for toadlets to eat. Ghann’s cricket farm sells crickets of all sizes for very low prices, and I use 1/8 inch crickets, bought in quantities of 6,000 for about $75 shipped (once a month purchase) and housed as described in the feeding section, dusted and fed to toadlets daily or every other day. I will also start offering roaches but I find my roach colony has trouble keeping up with the needs of the toadlets (the issue is only the first 2 instars of the roach’s life cycle are small enough for younger toadlets and while the colony could have 800+ individuals, only 3-6% of them may be a suitable size, and this is quickly diminished by the toadlets), and so it is more worthwhile to buy bulk crickets until the toadlets are bigger. At 5-6 months old, toadlet care can be identical to adult care except the food is smaller, the tank should be smaller, the tank should securely fit the climbing-prone toadlets (the loose fitting lid on a 10-gallon tank isn’t suitable for small toadlets), and the toadlets shouldn’t be housed with the adults. The toadlets become mature between 8 and 14 months old (males will display territorial mating behaviors before reaching full size) and are more robust and tame than their parents, who were likely wild caught. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]In Conclusion:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The firebelly toad is an exciting and forgiving pet that is well worth keeping. They are easy and hardy and it is very rewarding to own one and watch it eat and move and become accustomed to you. They are long lived and their ease of care allows anyone to become closer to amphibians. Breeding them gives an encouraging challenge to any hobbyist and these toads are a perfect addition to any household and forever will be.[/SIZE]
enjoy
[SIZE=22pt]Practical Care of the Oriental Firebelly Toad, Bombina orientalis[/SIZE]
[SIZE=18pt]By Alex B[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Introduction:[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]The firebelly toad, Bombina orientalis, is a small (2-3 inch) toad native to eastern Asia, found from southern China up to Korea and possibly Russia. Their natural habitat is woodland areas surrounding permanent bodies of water. These toads are a very primitive species of amphibian, perhaps the most primitive in culture, and are a very popular and easy pet. These toads are very forgiving and can tolerate a wide range of care conditions and have relatively basic needs. These toads get their name for the red color of their underside, which indicates poison. These toads are mildly toxic, but it does not harm humans unless the toad is ingested. It should be known however, that some people are allergic to these toads, and the toxins will make open cuts sting very badly, and if hands are not washed after handling, don’t be surprised at a sour taste after touching or your lips (I know this because I handled a few, then, without washing my hands, stuck a finger in a jar of frosting and when I put it in my mouth I could taste the liquidly toxins). I would not be overly concerned about the toxins though, unless you are allergic or eat a large quantity, they are not dangerous. It should be noted that pets such as cats or dogs and small children should not have access to these toads because they do not recognize the fact that these toads are poisonous to eat. In the wild, these toads, if on land, will flip and reveal their red undersides if threatened to scare off potential predators. This is known as the unken reflex, unken being German for toad. Captive individuals lose this instinct and eventually become tame around humans, particularly if they associate the presence of a human with food. With proper care these toads have been known to live up to 20 years, but a more average lifespan is 5-10 years, and keep in mind a good percentage of these toads in pet stores are wild caught, and they may already be 2-6 years old or even older in some cases. These toads make wonderful pets and are an enjoyment for anyone.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Obtaining a Toad:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] These toads are very common in pet stores and anyone can go to a local store and pick one up. However, randomly going to a store and picking up just any toad is careless. You want to look for a healthy specimen that will give you years of enjoyment. Avoid unreasonable prices for these toads, since they are incredibly common and low maintenance, avoid paying more than $15 for one, and a reasonable price range is between 4 and 10 dollars. If you choose to obtain some through an online site be sure they have a good reputation for selling healthy animals, since you cannot examine a specimen bought through the internet. This does not necessarily mean a pet store is any better. I’ve seen very unhealthy toads at pet stores before. Just because these toads don’t require a whole lot of care doesn’t mean they will do well with long term neglect (they will, however, do fine for about 1 week at less than ideal conditions, and are very resilient). A healthy toad should have vivid colors, clear and wide open eyes, a dark, heart shaped pupil, moist, unbroken skin, is plump, alert, and active. I would avoid any stores who have skinny, discolored (a chocolate brown is not bad, but merely a variation) or blotchy looking toads. If there are dead animals in the cage (particularly if they are dead in the water area of the holding cage), you should avoid buying from the supplier. Avoid anyone who doesn’t guarantee the animals (I buy from petsmart usually, and they guarantee the animals for 2 full weeks, but in recent years they haven’t taken particularly good care of them). Also, no bones or bumps should be visible underneath the skin. The toad also should be able to coordinate its movements properly and balance itself properly in water (if it tilts to one side or has problems swimming it could be malnutrition or a spinal injury sustained by another animal). Also, when picked up or held the toad should vigorously try to get free (a good test would be to form a cup with your hands and lightly hold it and see if it tries to free itself from your grasp, but be gentle so it doesn’t harm itself). Lastly, the toad should not have any discharge coming from any areas of its body unless it’s defecating. The feces should be dark, round, firm, and consistent. Any misshape, red or discoloration, or runniness can be a cause for alarm. To see the stool, put it in a small cage with moist paper towels on the bottom, and within about a day it should defecate.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Before you obtain your toad, be sure to have a cage set up for it and be sure you are able to care for it for its lifespan, which may last 10 years or more. These toads are active and like to explore, and don’t be alarmed if the toad is more interested in half-destroying the new environment and exploring than it is in eating. It can take 2-3 days for a new animal to begin eating again, and as long as it was a healthy weight when it was obtained, it should be fine between meals.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Housing:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Before purchasing one or more healthy individuals, you need to set up a cage for the toads. They can survive several days in a small, ventilated cage with moist paper towels on the floor in case you haven’t yet set up a permanent cage for them. A single toad can do fine in a clear 5 gallon Rubbermaid or sterilite bin, provided the lid fits right and is properly ventilated (middle cut out and replaced with mosquito netting or mesh), and a 10 gallon fish tank can house up to 6 fully grown toads. These toads are very hardy and can tolerate a wide range of setups. A cage with a few inches of moist peat moss, a small water bowl, and fake plants or vines is a good, simple setup for them. You can even add live plants that have minimal light requirements and that are free of any fertilizers and pesticides. Sphagnum moss also works well, but it should be rinsed with hot water to prevent attracting of fungus gnats, and both mosses are readily available as bricks at pet stores, and adding a gallon of water expands them. Another option is the half land, half water cage. This is accomplished with rinsed aquarium gravel, and the land area has a taller pile of gravel so when you add about 2-4 inches of water to the tank, about half of the tank worth of gravel juts out of the water. Be sure to cover the land gravel with moss so the toads don’t accidentally ingest it, which can kill them. A third option is the mainly aquatic option, with a thin layer of gravel on the bottom of the tank, 3-6 inches of water, fake or live plants, and a fake rock, Lilly pad, or other object sticking out of the water to serve as land. Anything in between any of the 3 setups also works. It mainly depends on your taste and budget, but the most important points are no chemicals, a moist environment with at least a small swimming area, shelter, and temperatures between 68 and 74 degrees, which can be accomplished with a small light (do not place directly on plastic lids and be sure the toads can’t directly touch the bulb) over the cage. Also, the water should be rain water or spring water (at a grocery store, a gallon jug of spring water can cost less than a dollar), as tap water has too many minerals and chlorine and distilled water is too pure and can cause problems with the toads’ fluid intake and possibly blood pressure (remember the concept of diffusion). Any visible waste (shed skin, dead insects, feces) should be removed when it is seen and every 6 months everything should be taken out, rinsed, moss replaced, and cleaned well (use hot water only, no soap or chemicals). Once a year replace gravel. I typically use the mostly aquatic setup and once a month I stir up the gravel to loosen up the waste, then I use a fine beta net and a pipette to remove the now floating waste and every 4-6 months I rinse everything and clean it well. If the toads are actively spawning (will get to this later) it’s a good idea to wait until all eggs hatch before doing too much cleaning to avoid harming them. It is not a good idea to house other species with these toads, mainly because of the toad’s toxins. If you do house something with the toads, be sure both animals are similar sizes so they don’t try and eat each other. I have housed treefrogs with these toads without a problem since the toads can handle a mossy cage and the treefrogs stay off the ground unless feeding and they don’t have too much contact with each other so they don’t absorb each other’s secretions. Just be sure to meet both species’ needs and make sure that they both eat enough.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Feeding:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Firebelly toads are eager eaters and will go after any invertebrate they can swallow (they will sometimes bite each other’s feet, but it is not something to worry about unless one toad is significantly larger than the other). Fully grown toads need only to be fed 2-3 times a week and can go up to 3 weeks without food in summer. If you have to go away on a short vacation, just be sure to feed the toads up well before you leave and they will be fine. Crickets are a fairly good staple diet, they are easy to care for and gut load. Crickets do have a few disadvantages, such as their noises, odor, death rate, expensiveness, and their potential to bite your toad. Crickets are good if you have only a few toads, as you can easily buy about 100 crickets, which will last you about 5 weeks, though if you have a large number or are looking for a better feeder option, roaches are great. Crickets and roaches can be kept in similar ways. For crickets, I take a small bin (or a large bin for higher quantities, 10 adult crickets need about 1 gallon of bin space and an 18-20 gallon bin can house a few thousand cricket nymphs up to a half inch size). I place cardboard egg crate for climbing surfaces, add the crickets, cover the container and store it in a cool, shady location in the house. I will feed the crickets different fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oranges, bananas, and apples. Carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other hard vegetables should be placed in microwave bowls with water and microwaved 8-10 minutes or until softened. Apples should be chopped up, and bananas/oranges/citrus should be peeled. Food should be removed before or just as mold forms. If you feed the toads every 3 days, 100 crickets, assuming you have 2 toads, and every cricket survives to be food, you should be set for about 5½ weeks. Keep in mind cricket prices are rising from the virus that is killing them off, and they add up after so many months, though a new cricket species is common now and is resistant to disease. Crickets don’t need much else, as long as food is fresh, no extra water is needed, but water gels can be used. There are varying opinions on how much protein the crickets will need, I would offer larger crickets fish flakes or something because they are somewhat cannibalistic, but very small crickets (under half an inch) don’t need extra protein. If you choose to hibernate the toads, then that’s 3 months you don’t need crickets for, but this will stimulate spawning (will get to this later).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Roaches are my preferred feeder insect. Not only are they inexpensive and disease free, they can be bred for a continuous supply of food. I use an 18 gallon Rubbermaid container with a ventilated lid. Lobster roaches, Nauphoeta cinerea, are an excellent feeder roach. I set up the bin with a shallow substrate of moist peat moss (an inch works-I use it just because in such a large bin with under tank heating, it gets dry really fast. I don’t do this with crickets because they are kept at room temperature and their humidity is usually fine) and a few layers of egg crate and I buy 100 mixed roaches. As a bonus, since the adult roaches are too big for the toads to eat, you can leave all adults in the colony to reproduce and feed off smaller babies. Also, they are tropical insects from the Caribbean that need warm temperatures to survive and if a few get loose they will not be a problem, crickets are more problematic if they get loose than tropical roach species (I only use tropical roaches that are no problem if they escape, and rarely have escapees since they hang out with the other roaches due to the smell of their roach relatives-humans typically cannot smell roaches). These roaches climb plastic so be sure to have a tight lid on the cage and rub Crisco along the upper edges so they can’t climb to the lid. I keep these on heat rope (I have the heat rope on plywood, plugged into a rheostat, set on high, and I just have the bin on this). As long as the heat rope is secure (so it can’t get loose and touch itself), it won’t melt the plastic bin. I would avoid excessive feeding of a starting roach colony (let at least half the nymphs reach adulthood and breed for about 2 months), though usually plenty of extra roaches are shipped and you can afford to feed off about 20 or so. A colony with less than 200 roaches can be kept in a 3-5 gallon bin under an infrared bulb so it grows faster. With both feeder insects be sure to keep the cages clean and food constant and fresh. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] In order to maintain their red bellies, these toads need carotene in the food they eat. This can usually be achieved by gut loading feeder insects with things such as carrots, peppers, mango, oranges, sweet potato, and other fruits and vegetables full of beta carotene and other carotenoids, but many tropical fish flakes with color enhancers also help. Things such as bloodworms and brine shrimp also help maintain the red color and buying frozen ones that you then thaw and wave in front of the toad with long feeding tongs is worthwhile. Not only does this help simulate the diet they would have in the wild but will help improve your relationship with your fairly smart, long lived, amphibious friend. Repashy’s superpig is a pigment supplement dust that can be used once a week to enhance the colors of the toads as well. Not every feeding they get needs to contain carotenes. As treats, waxworms, maggots, silkworms, small earthworms, and hornworms are nice feeders. Be sure to feed the toad things not much larger than the head size, as they swallow prey whole. Large adults will slurp down earthworms up to 3 times their body length though I would chop the worm up before using them for food.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Adult firebellies need food every 3-4 days, though in some cases should receive more. Also, younger ones need food every other day (most people say every day but I find really young toadlets don’t have that kind of appetite, they do build an appetite as they develop); otherwise they will not be properly nourished and will be undersized adults. At the very least, calcium dust should be used. I put the dust in a small cup and swirl insects around in it before feeding them to the toads. Then I tilt the cup and when the insects crawl out of the dust, I tap them into the tank. The dust shouldn’t be allowed to pour into the tank in large quantities. I also use vitamin dust, though it should not be used more than twice a week (unless needed) to avoid overdosing the toads on it. I use dust every feeding so the toads get extra benefits from eating. It may take a few weeks for the toads to get used to the taste of the dust but they will eventually be used to it.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Breeding:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] If you have been keeping these toads for a few years and decide you really like them and wish to breed them, you will find it relatively easy to do so. However, do not just breed any animal for the sake of breeding them. Keep in mind firebelly toads produce hundreds of young and you may be responsible for all of those. If you are only looking for a few more, it is a better idea to just buy a couple more at the pet store. If you really do want to study their life cycle and grow your own, just keep in mind it is a lot of work and can be difficult. You won’t make much money if you sell them, and unless you live in their native region, they cannot be released into the wild. I will mention that an advantage to breeding these toads in captivity is that a captive breeding program for this species can be established, producing healthier individuals and reducing independence on wild populations for specimens. I was 15 when I first bred these toads, so if a 15 year old can breed this species, most people can.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] You are ethically obligated to care for the young that you decided to bring into the world, so keep these things in mind before and while you put forth a breeding plan. Another aspect of responsible breeding is the fact that only healthy, fully mature individuals should be put through such a demanding process and inbreeding should be avoided at all costs. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Breeding these toads can prove difficult in the sense of obtaining males and females. Since about 90% of this species’ population is male, it can prove difficult to find one or two females that you can use. Compared to females, males are slightly smaller and often have bumpier backs, though this isn’t the most reliable method. Males have thicker forearms and nuptial pads, but these differences are hardly distinctive and they are difficult to differentiate. Just picking a huge, fat toad out of a pet store does not guarantee it to be female. Males do behave differently than females. They make more noise (though an unreceptive female will make a frantic vibrating chirping sound when grabbed; males accidentally grabbed will make the same sound), which is anything from a soft tink to an almost ape like holler. Also, when in a cage with a few inches of water, males will grab and attempt to mate with passing toads quite often. Sooner than later you will notice this, and since only males do this, if you have a toad that never grabs another toad and you’ve had it for a good 2 months, it’s a safe bet its female. My female often times is always round even when the males are skinny and they haven’t eaten in weeks (such as after hibernating) and she hogs the food sometimes. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The more toads you have, the better, though I had success with a group of 3 males and 1 female, it is ideal to have twice that number. The more crowded the better in the breeding season. The only caution I have is not to have a huge over accumulation of males and only 1 female, anything more than 3 males to 1 female is a safety danger, as many males attempting to mate with a single female can severely injure her, I had this happen to a small female and she sustained a spinal injury she never recovered from. Another option is to buy some from an online site that will sex adults for you, they are more experienced and are usually accurate. The only disadvantage to this is shipping is stressful, expensive, and you cannot examine the specimen you receive before purchasing. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] After you have 1 or 2 females and 3-6 males to go with them, you must begin to condition them to breed. First, make a peak daylight of 16 hours, which should be done in early July (if it gets cold in the winter in your area this helps). A timer used for lamps and other electrical devices works well for this, just attach it to the lamp over the cage. Every 2 weeks decrease the daylight by half an hour and feed the toads very well, making sure to supplement meals. Start letting the water level drop, and when the toads have about 12½ hours of daylight, they will lose interest in food and act more sluggish. This is a good sign. Make sure they were loaded up with food and are nice and plump. Feeding them waxworms helps them bulk up. If you had peak daylight the first week of July, it should be late October/early November now. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Take the toads and place them in a small tank with 5 inches of moist sphagnum moss and place it in a cool area that doesn’t get warmer than 60 degrees but no cooler than about 55, though they can tolerate temps as low as 48 for SHORT periods of time (I know this on account of a winter storm/power outage that drastically cooled down my house and they were fine). I use the closet in my room, since it juts out of the house and is a bit cooler than my room in winter (see why it is a good idea to hibernate them in sync with your region’s winter?) but any other closet in my upstairs works and one leads up to an unheated attic so it gets nice and cool, but be careful so it doesn’t get too cold. Unheated sheds work as long as they are insulated a bit and garages can also be used but exhaust from a car may harm them. If your fridge is set between 55 and 60 degrees (mini fridges may work if you don’t want to do this to a whole big fridge), you can put them in that but be sure they don’t dry up. They don’t need much daylight (I usually remove them from the hibernation location for a few minutes once a week, and every month for an hour so I can tweezer offer each toad a waxworm or 2), and barely lighting them at all really helps convince them it’s winter. They may burrow, they may not, but they don’t move too much, which is nothing to be concerned about. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] After about 12 weeks, it is a good idea to set up the big tank again so they can awaken. Get gravel (white gravel makes it easy to see eggs) and make a deep end and a shallow end in the tank. The deep end should be 2 inches deeper than the shallow end and cover about ¾ of the tank. In the deep end I put plenty of plants (both real ones with minimal light needs and fake ones that like neglect) and fill the tank with 1½ inches of water and add the toads. I cover the exposed gravel with paper toweling so it does not get ingested. The shallow end has a large fake rock/cave ornament, which seems useless now but in a few weeks will be useful. I give them 13 hours of daylight the day they come out of hibernation, increasing by 30 minutes every other week. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The first two weeks they are out of hibernation, I feed them heavily daily and give them plenty of dusting supplements. As the weeks progress I add more water and floating aquatic plants. When the water levels are up to about 6 inches at the deepest end (see the use of the rock now?) and daylight hours are at 14½ to 15 (about 3-6 weeks after finishing hibernating), the toads should spawn. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The males will grasp toads any time they are in water, but unless he grabs a receptive female, nothing will occur. He may also grab plants and insects. Males often eat very little, and after the spawning ends their appetites will return to normal. Once he finds a receptive female the pair engages in amplexus. If the female just sits there and the male shakes his back legs invariably, spawning will occur. The female will not reject the male and during the night she will deposit eggs singly on plant matter. The eggs will be small half black half white balls about the size of the loop of a safety pin and will be encased in a double jelly membrane. They will eventually absorb the white portion and become tadpole shaped, and hatch in 4-8 days depending on temperature. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] 4 days later the tadpoles begin eating. Start them off with food low in protein, it’s healthier for them and helps them bulk up. I always remove tadpoles from the adult cage after they hatch, or I move the unhatched eggs, and put them in a separate, 5 gallon tank full of water. If you don’t, the adults may eat the tadpoles. The adults will more than likely spawn again, but don’t put the eggs in the tank full of tadpoles, as they may become quick snacks for the developed tadpoles. I often keep tadpoles separated by age, and I don’t overcrowd them. In a 5 gallon tank of water, I keep no more than 50 tadpoles in it-10 tadpoles per gallon is ideal. Keeping tadpoles under crowded is bad as well, since they may not eat properly, but overcrowded tadpoles will metamorphosize too quickly and will be undersized. Undersized toadlets have higher mortality, perhaps partially because of the food size smaller toadlets are able to handle, smaller foods mean less nutrients. I have observed that the first tadpoles to metamorphosize will be smaller than the last ones, and the last few tadpoles left behind display a major slow-down in growth. This adds to my theory that when they are overcrowded, they rush metamorphosis, and when under crowded, they grow too slow from not eating right. The best ways to combat these issues are to house them by age and keep them at densities of 10-15 per gallon of water.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] I keep the tadpoles at room temperature and put the tank next to the adults so the light reaches them. This means the eggs will grow faster when kept in the adult cage, and when they hatch I transfer them to the tadpole tank with a turkey baster. I start them out on algae wafers as well as blanched lettuce/collard greens mix. I lightly boil the greens for 8 minutes and chop them up. I store it in a bag in the freezer for safe keeping and when I need some I defrost it in a bowl of water, take what I need, and the rest goes back into the freezer. Young tadpoles (under 2 weeks old) only need daily feeding, but as they get older, a constant flow of food should be offered. They eat ravenously and grow rapidly. After about 3 weeks I start feeding them fish flakes. They will become toads in 4-9 weeks depending on the temperature and quality of food. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] When they start developing front legs they need land areas to climb up on. Even when they have front legs and tails, they will feed, unlike most frogs. The tadpole tanks will have rocks for emergent toadlets (though I let the toadlets stay with tadpoles until the tails are absorbed so they don’t dry up) and I will toss undusted fruitflies on the rock for the young toadlets. After the toadlets absorb the tails, they need to be removed, as young toadlets without tails are prone to drowning and tadpoles seem to like to eat fresh toadlets.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] I transfer toadlets to another 5 gallon bin (with ventilated lid and mesh under the entire top to prevent toadlets from getting feet stuck under the lid and drying up) with moist paper towels on the bottom. The paper towels will need to be changed daily and must stay moist. No water bowl should be given to the young toadlets as they are easily drowned. Toadlets shouldn’t be overcrowded (they bully each other out of food like crazy), they should be kept in densities of 20 toadlets per 5 gallons of space. The toadlets will be tiny and need to eat fruitflies for the first few weeks. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Fruitflies are easy to culture, you can obtain Drosophila hydei cultures very easily online and when the culture is about 3 weeks old you can take a medium apple, cut it up, blend it in a blender with vinegar, mix ¼ cup orange juice with ¼ cup organic plain oatmeal and stir the apple/vinegar and juice/oatmeal mixes together, add a tiny bit of honey and yeast, then place in the bottom of a 32oz deli cup. Add raffia straw and cover with a ventilated lid. In 1-2 days you can add 30 or so adult flies and in about 2 weeks the new culture will keep producing for you. The young toadlets will need to be fed food supplemented with carotenes so they develop red color, though it is difficult when using fruitflies. Also, please don’t use carotene dust until the toadlets are a few weeks old. It is more important that the toadlets get calcium and vitamin dust. Calcium dust sticks well to any feeder, and the toadlets grow faster with dust. The key is to get the toadlets past the fruitfly stage as quickly as possible; my personal record is 3 weeks. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Dusting tiny feeder insects with a carotene dust helps, gut loading pinhead crickets and tiny baby roaches with carotene filled food is also a good idea, but newly metamorphosized toadlets are too tiny for this. With the small toadlets I often will take a small cup and put some calcium or vitamin dust in it, pour fruitflies into it, then swirl it. The flies are then coated with the dust and I put the whole cup in the cage. When the flies crawl out of the cup they are eaten before the dust falls off. Be careful though as young toadlets are excellent climbers and if one climbs up the cup and falls into the dust, the dust will dehydrate the toadlet and kill it. I notice young toadlets often have issues catching prey and the sticky tongues are not developed so it is important to have small prey always available. Without dust, mortality will be high, between 12 and 30%. Most deaths occur between metamorphosis and sexual maturity, very few tadpoles die, but after about 3 months they seem to be more stable.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Without dust, all but about a dozen toadlets survived. The next year, supplements not only made adults breed more, about 60 toadlets survived to the stable stage (4-5 months after metamorphosis), with only about 30 deaths, mainly due to careless dehydration accidents on my part.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] At about 4 months old, virtually every toadlet still alive will survive and they can be fed thawed bloodworms off a toothpick, which helps them gain nutrients and pigments. After toadlets can eat bigger food than fruitflies (very young crickets and roaches), the bottom of the bins can be furnished with moist peat moss, which makes cleaning easier and I feel the soil is beneficial for the digestive systems of the toadlets. I would use crickets for younger toadlets, since it seems the shape of roaches makes them hard for toadlets to eat. Ghann’s cricket farm sells crickets of all sizes for very low prices, and I use 1/8 inch crickets, bought in quantities of 6,000 for about $75 shipped (once a month purchase) and housed as described in the feeding section, dusted and fed to toadlets daily or every other day. I will also start offering roaches but I find my roach colony has trouble keeping up with the needs of the toadlets (the issue is only the first 2 instars of the roach’s life cycle are small enough for younger toadlets and while the colony could have 800+ individuals, only 3-6% of them may be a suitable size, and this is quickly diminished by the toadlets), and so it is more worthwhile to buy bulk crickets until the toadlets are bigger. At 5-6 months old, toadlet care can be identical to adult care except the food is smaller, the tank should be smaller, the tank should securely fit the climbing-prone toadlets (the loose fitting lid on a 10-gallon tank isn’t suitable for small toadlets), and the toadlets shouldn’t be housed with the adults. The toadlets become mature between 8 and 14 months old (males will display territorial mating behaviors before reaching full size) and are more robust and tame than their parents, who were likely wild caught. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]In Conclusion:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The firebelly toad is an exciting and forgiving pet that is well worth keeping. They are easy and hardy and it is very rewarding to own one and watch it eat and move and become accustomed to you. They are long lived and their ease of care allows anyone to become closer to amphibians. Breeding them gives an encouraging challenge to any hobbyist and these toads are a perfect addition to any household and forever will be.[/SIZE]
