My Herp Page
Nooooo.....I don't have a fascination with infectious diseases! Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians. My professional experience in herpetology includes some Master's thesis work on amphibian populations in Saratoga County as well as contributing to the New York State Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. My personal experience encompasses many years of herpetoculture (keeping and breeding various species). Currently, the only species I'm keeping is Bombina orientalis, the Chinese Firebelly Toad, which I have had since 1987.
Natives to northeastern China, Firebelly Toads get their names from their brilliant coloration. On their backs, a beautiful lime green in speckled with black spots. Underneath, their black spots contrast a brilliant, flourescent red. This marking is a warning coloration, since their skin contains a chemical that is poisonous if ingested. Toads that feel threatened often arch their backs to display this coloration (called the "unken reflex", named after the sound that they make when exhibiting this behavior).
Presently, I have about 8 adult frogs who reside in a 4-foot vivarium in my living room, complete with live plants and running waterfall. Their diet consists mainly of live crickets, powdered with vitamins "shake 'n bake" style. My frogs are so well conditioned that when I go to feed them, they emerge from their crevices in droves to devour their prey. Needless to say, they're quite a conversation piece. Here's a trio of my frogs enjoying their lavish surroundings.
In the spring, the males establish territory and begin calling. Their choruses continue for several hours on warm evenings. On some nights, their calls are downright resounding! Not only does their crescendo stimulate the females into breeding receptivity, it's a wonderful sound to fall asleep to.
After the breeding season, the females individually lay between 50 and 200 eggs in clusters underwater, among plant roots and driftwood. After about five days, the little tads hatch. Before this happens however, I usually remove the eggs, since the adults usually consider them as tasty snacks, rather than their own kin! In a month, the tadpoles grow limbs and metamorphose into froglets. They have voracious appetites, and readily consume lots of live bloodworms (shown below inside a Ragu jar lid).
Do you need more information on firebelly toads? Click on the link below!