Caging | Food | Heating & Lighting | Cleaning | Companions

Fire Belly Toads get their name from their fire colored bellies. (That was hard to figure out!) They are simple to take care of and can be handled more than most amphibians. They live a half aquatic life so they need water and land in their cage.
Life-Span: at least a few years if taken proper care of
Max. Size: 3"

Caging:                                                              

Since Fire Belly Toads don't get too big, they can live in a fairly small cage. An ideal size for one or two would be a 5 gallon, and for more than two, a 10 gallon aquarium is nice. (They seem to like company so if you can, buy at least two.) There are three basic ways to set up a tank for them:

1) Sloped- this is where the gravel is sloped to create a hill effect leading into the water. It's easy to set up, but sometimes doesn't look as good as #2 [Top]

2) All-water- this is where the tank is full about 1/4 to 1/2 with water, with large rocks and other object to climb out of. I think this is the easiest way to clean, because you don't even need gravel. Be careful with rocks. Sharp edges can easily cut the toads' soft underside. [Top]

3) All gravel- this setup is where the only water is in a large bowl the toads can sit in. I don't like this at all and I don't think they like it either, but it can be used. [Top]

There are different types of gravel, but the best is the smooth medium-sized pebbles sold as fish gravel in most pet store. Don't put sharp rocks, shells, etc in the tank because they might cut the toad and lead to infection. [Top]

Food:                                                                 

Smaller toads will require medium sized crickets (apprx. 3 week old) fed about every other day. They will go through at least a dozen each in a week but probably more. Adults need large crickets (5 week), and they will probably go through a dozen and a half in a week at least. When feeding, you can either dump all the crickets in at a time and let them eat when they feel like it which can be nice because you don't have to buy crickets constantly (unfortunately, crickets are very stupid and they can drown very easily) or keep them in a separate container and give them a few at a time. (See Cricket Care) [Top]

Heating & Lighting:                                               

Fire Belly Toads don't need any heat source as long as your house is room temperature (at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit). A fluorescent light (which provides UVB and UVA rays) is not necessary but if you can get one, it's better. You can also put them in sunlight to get the UVA and UVB rays. But be very, VERY careful they don't overheat. They should have a maximum temperature of 78 degrees. [Top]

Cleaning:                                                          

Fire Belly Toads are very messy, and with drowning crickets, you'll want to clean the tank almost once a week, unless you have some sort of filter. A simple tank is always easier to clean! Make sure to de-chlorinate the water before you put the frogs in because amphibians are very sensitive. [Top]

Companions:                                              

Fire-belly toads have a slime coating that is bad for most other creatures. The only animals they can be with are newts (which must be big enough to not be eaten) and goldfish, which actually will eat their skin when they shed. They do seem to enjoy (as far as a frog can) other f.b. toad companions and will chirp more often and hang around or on top of each other. [Top]