Yellow-bellied toad

Description

The size of males and females ranges from 35 to 56 mm; however, snout-vent lengths of more than 45 mm are rarely observed in Central Europe. The upper parts are clay to grayish brown, with narrow darker glandular complexes and washed-out light spots sometimes visible in the nape area. The underparts, including the inner sides of the limbs and the fingers and toes, are intensely colored light yellow to orange and interspersed with lead-gray to black spots or areas. Mostly the yellow part is more than half of the surface (occasionally also animals with almost completely yellow belly side occur; but also completely black ones were observed). Because the pattern of the underparts are different in each animal, this allows an individual differentiation - for example in the context of zoological investigations. Yellow-bellied toads have a stocky body, which is not quite as flattened as in the related fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina), and a rounded snout. The pupil is heart-shaped, and the tympanic membrane is not externally visible. The upperpart has numerous tubercles with raised black horn spines.

Habitat

The yellow-bellied toad is one of the amphibians with a close aquatic relationship. Originally, the species was a typical inhabitant of stream and river floodplains. Here, it colonized the temporary small water bodies that were constantly being created depending on the dynamics of the floodplain. Also in its civilized replacement biotopes it prefers temporarily water-bearing small and very small bodies of water on clayey ground, such as tractor tracks, puddles and small water ditches. Usually these are low in vegetation and free of competing species and predators. Rapid warming of the waters ensures rapid development of spawn and larvae. Today, this pioneer species is mainly found in quarries, clay or gravel pits, and military training areas.

The high mobility of the juveniles favors the spontaneous colonization of newly developing habitats. On land, the animals seek hiding places under stones, dead wood and in gap and crevice systems of rocks. Predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal, they hunt insects (beetles, ants, bipeds, etc.). Their predators include backswimmers, water boatman, large dragonfly larvae, newts and sticklebacks (for the tadpoles), and birds such as magpies and also blackbirds (for the juveniles and adults).

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelbbauchunke). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 25 June 2021