Fire-bellied Toad

Fire-bellied Toad

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The Fire-bellied Toads is a group comprising eight species of small toads (typically no longer than 1.6 inches) belonging to the genus Bombina. Common variants of the name 'Fire-bellied toad' include 'firebelly toad' and 'firebellied toad'.

"Fire-bellied" is derived from the brightly coloured red- or yellow-and-black patterns on the toads' ventral regions, which act as aposematic coloration, a warning to predators of the toads' reputedly foul taste. The other parts of the toads' skins are green or dark brown. When confronted with a potential predator, these toads commonly engage in an Unkenreflex, "Unken-" being the combining form of "Unke", German for firebellied toad. In the Unkenreflex, the toad arches its back, raising its front and back legs to display the aposematic coloration of its ventral side.