MY Oriental Firebellied Toads Description: Bombina orientalis is one of 6 members of the genus Bombina. It is found at 1700-3000 m (5300-10000 feet) above sea level in south-eastern Siberia, north-eastern China and Korea. It spends most of the time floating or swimming in ponds and streams. For a beginning frog owner who wants to get the full terrestrial frog experience, Oriental Firebellied Toads are an excellent choice. These guys are fairly simple to care for, in so far as they can survive fairly well off crickets with vitamin supplements, and they are incredibly active critters. They also don't get too large. Finally, there are no hibernation requirements for this species and they do well in temperatures that people generally are happy to have in their homes. They will grow to a size of 6 cm (2 3/8 inches). It's green or brown with black spots and patches, except for the ventral region which is red and black. They will eat almost anything that will fit in its mouth: Houseflies, bluebottles, assorted moth larvae, earthworm, mealworm, crickets and guppies. If you have guppies swimming in the water, the frogs will catch one from time to time. Their singing sounds somewhat like a small dog barking at some distance. If a female is present and she's ready to breed, she'll swim around with a male on her back and the eggs will be attached singularly or in small groups to plants, rocks, roots or whatever can be found in the water. One female may produce more than two hundred eggs. The eggs should be transferred to another aquarium. After 3 days at 24ºC (77ºF) the eggs will hatch. For another 3 days, while consuming the yolk sac, the tadpoles don't move around at all. After that they'll begin swimming around, trying to find something to eat. The tadpoles can be raised on finely crushed flakes, frozen or freeze dried fish food. The hind legs will begin to break through about 3 weeks after the eggs hatched and the 'arms' will begin to appear about a week later. Five weeks after hatching, the first frogs will go through metamorphosis and will be ready to leave the water. The froglets will eat any kind of small insects and larvae. They'll be ready to breed before they are a year old. The eggs of younger and smaller females tend to be fewer and smaller in size. Did you know The ventral region of a captive bred B. orientalis is yellow and black rather than red and black. This can be corrected permanently by a adding little betacarotene to their food over a period of a few weeks. DO NOT COPY