The Fire-Bellied Toad & Horned Toad

Ever since Kenneth Grahame’s “Wind in the Willows” was first published in 1908, few of us have left childhood without at least a slight fondness for toads – and for those of us who then go on to enjoy exotic pets, what a range there are to keep!

Of all of the 4,500 or so species of frogs and toads in the world, the Fire-Bellied Toad and Horned Toad are two of the most interesting and rewarding varieties to have as pets, though they could scarcely be more different in appearance or care.

Fire-Bellied Toads

Named after their characteristic red and black blotched undersides, these 2 inch (5cm) long, active little amphibians make attractive and interesting animals to keep. There are two forms of Fire-Bellied Toad – the European (Bombina bombina) and the Oriental or Chinese (Bombina orientalis) – and they require slightly different conditions in captivity.

European Fire-Bellied Toads are more aquatic than their eastern cousins and so require a larger amount of water in their tanks, so an aqua-terrarium, with shallow water covering two-thirds of the tank or more is the best way to keep them happy. Their close relative, the Yellow-Bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) is also seen on sale – and it too will thrive in similarly watery surroundings.

By contrast Oriental Fire-Bellied Toads prefer a more semi-aquatic environment, a suitably sized shallow water bowl set into a woodland-type of tank set-up being ideal for them. Both kinds of Fire-Bellied Toads do well in groups – two or three pairs of these animals will live happily – and often breed – in a 2ft x 1ft x 1ft (60x30x30cm) tank, especially with the addition of some appropriate plants and cork bark to provide hiding places.

One of the things that makes these toads such popular pets is their hardiness and their ability to tolerate a range of temperatures. Ideally they should be around 22 degrees C (72F), but provided their surroundings don’t exceed 29C (85F) or fall below 15C (60F) they seem to be fine – which means that in an average warm home, no additional heating is likely to be needed.

Horned Toads

Bigger, terrestrial and far more aggressive, Horned Toads – known also as “Horned Frogs” – are a completely different kind of amphibian to keep. The name “horned” comes from two projections over the eyes of some species; they’re not actual horns – they’re fleshy – but the effect is pretty striking all the same! In species such as the Asian Horned Toad (Megophrys nasuta) and the Surinam Horned Toad (Ceratophrys cornuta) these “horns” can be very impressive, but – confusingly – they are almost absent in some of the commonest kinds on sale! These “semi-hornless” varieties include the Argentine Horned Toad (Ceratophrys ornata) and Cranwell’s Horned Toad (C. cranwelli) – and their hybrid offspring, which are sometimes to be seen offered as “Fantasy” Horned Toads.

In the wild, Horned Toads are forest dwellers, lying part buried for long periods, waiting for food to wander in range of their huge mouths – their attractive green, brown and yellow patterning offering camouflage for these ambush predators. Although these animals grow to 4 or 5 inches in length (10 to 12.5cm) – and much the same in width – they are not particularly active, so a tank around 18 x 10 x 12 (45x25x30cm) tank will accommodate an adult. Add a good layer of sphagnum moss or sterile compost to allow the toad to burrow and a suitably large water dish.

The tank will need to be heated to around 25C (77F); a heat mat underneath is probably the best way of achieving this, but with these animals being natural burrowers, make sure that the mat doesn’t cover all of the base, so your toads can find a place to hide without getting too hot.

Horned Toads are too aggressive and too greedy to be kept other than singly; with a mouth like a flip-top bin and seemingly always ready to eat, in a group the big toads will happily cannibalise their smaller brothers and sisters – so they just have to be solitary pets!

Food and Feeding

These toads will eat any appropriately sized live food including crickets, earthworms, insects and their larvae, slugs and woodlice – Fire-Bellied Toads tending to prefer smaller, soft-bodied prey, while large Horned Toads can be fed a “pinkie” or two occasionally. Dusting the food with a good vitamin and mineral supplement once a month for the adults and every other meal for the youngsters will help keep them in good health.

Feed adult Fire-Bellied Toads two or three times a week and juveniles daily, but be careful not to over-feed Horned Toads. Adults probably only need feeding once or twice a week, but you obviously need to be guided by your animals themselves.

Two of the most attractive and easy to look after of all amphibians, both of these animals make fascinating and surprisingly intelligent pets.