18 Dec Breeding of the fire-bellied toad
There are 12 species of amphibians in Ponidzie, including the fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina). Its rough, warts-covered skin contains one of the strongest venoms among amphibians in Poland. It reaches from 4 to 5 cm in length. On the abdominal side, there are extensive grey or black spaces dotted with numerous small white points and between them there are usually intense orange-red spots. These spots can also be yellow-red, which can lead to confusion between the fire-bellied toad and the yellow-bellied toad.
Nature has equipped it with interesting defensive behavior. A frightened animal bends its body and shows bright orange spots. This phenomenon is called the “unken reflex” and discourages predators from attacking. Destruction of the aquatic environment is tantamount to the death of the toad because it cannot migrate more than a few hundred meters away.
