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Evidence for coloration plasticity in the yellow‐bellied toad, Bombina variegata
(pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
this post was submitted on 13 May 2025
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Fire-bellied Toads
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This community is dedicated to the fire-bellied toads of the genus Bombina, a group of small amphibians known for their bright red, yellow, or orange ventral coloration, used as a warning to predators.
There are six recognized species: Bombina bombina (European fire-bellied toad, mainland Europe), Bombina variegata (yellow-bellied toad, central and southern Europe), Bombina pachypus (Apennine yellow-bellied toad, Italy), Bombina orientalis (Oriental fire-bellied toad, Korea, northeastern China, and adjacent Russia), Bombina maxima (Yunnan fire-bellied toad, Yunnan and possibly Myanmar), and Bombina microdeladigitora (Hubei fire-bellied toad, southern China provinces).
This space is for the study, care, and appreciation of the Bombina species.
I personally have 6 individuals right now, and I'm attempting a captive-breeding program.
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Super interesting part about these fire-bellied toads being observed: "The Doberg frogs were repeatedly observed to cover themselves with pond soil. This could hint at a perception of the imperfect match of their dorsal coloration to the substrate."
This indicates that the frogs from the Doberg population, when they were observed in the wild, were covering themselves with debris, possibly as a behavioral response to the mismatch between their dorsal coloration and the surrounding substrate.
Suggests that the frogs might recognize the inadequacy of their camouflage and attempt to improve their concealment by adding debris, thereby enhancing their cryptic coloration.