Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a backyard pond about 10ft X6ft with goldfish and last summer I bought two fire bellied toads and put them in there, they promply swam to the far side, climed out and disapeared into the plants growing around the pond.

So I went to another store and they sold me bullfrog polywogs.

The polywogs are just now becoming frogs and last weekend when I was looking around, I caught one of the fire bellied toads! I hadn't seen it in a year.

Does anyone know anything about frogs and toads in an outdoor pond? Are they going to eat each other and my gold fish?

Wait untile the bullfrog are big...[chuckle] Then you can expect trouble because the bullfrog will eat your firebellied and died of FBT's toxin poisoning. Bullfrog are noctorious for eating anything they can fit down there throat and can give you a nasty bite.

Yes... this is what I've been hearing. At the pet store they told me that the bullfrogs would eat anything smaller then their mouths..... and.... anything bigger then their mouths if they can manage to get it into their mouth.

I didn't even know what the fire bellied toads were when I bought them last summer and assumed they were long gone or dead until I saw one last weekend. Also, I saw one at the pet store this week so realized what they are and that they can be toxic.

I'm hoping that there are enough insects and natural food around so everyone can just get along. Otherwise, I'm gonna end up with really big fat dead bullfrogs and nothing else!

Is there any chance that the fire bellies can wander further than your pond? It may not be a good idea to leave them out there. They are, after all, an exotic species and if they breed and spread you could very well cause damage to the surrounding wildlife. They are quite toxic and if any animale, not just other frogs, tries to eat one it will make them very sick if not kill them.

Personally I would recapture them and keep them inside in a tank rather than allow them free range. If for no other reason than to protect the nature in your area.
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Heather

I can't believe you let firebelly toads out. Those are a nonnative and toxic species. I only hope that they were both the same sex and don't breed. That would be a complete disaster. All this assuming you do not live in the Orient.
Please try to find the toads (this is probably impossible anyway.) They hopefully were killed by a lawnmower or a cat, though the cat would be dead too due to toxins.
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*~Ginevive~*

well just to clarify a few things since everyone seems to be so worried...

I live in Burbank CA in a city neighborhood with a little backyard pond so there isn't anywhere for the toads to spread to unless they could live in the neighbors hot tub or swimming pool.

Also they have been in there for a year without any detrimetal effects to anyone or anything. I have four cats, a german shepard, tons of goldfish, mosquito fish, crawfish and three bullfrog polywogs (now begoming frogs) in my pond. So other than the bullfrogs eating them and dying, it doesn't seem like anyone is in danger. My dog doesnt' bother the pond and my cats stay away from it because of the dog.

I bought the FBT at a watergarden shop where I bought lilly pads for my pond and it sounds like they are the ones I should be talking to because they didn't seem to know that the toads were toxic or could be dangerous to anyone or anything. They should be telling people that they are toxic when they sell them specifically for putting in ponds...

Lastly the chances of me catching them and doing anything with them is nill since I put two of them out there and I've only seen one of them once in over a year.

Anyway, thanks for everyone's all of your input and concern...

Wow, I would definitely tell the shop about the toxidity of Fire bellies. I would also look into seeing if there is someone that can be called about this place selling exotics for ponds. I think that it's very irresponsible of them to be doing that and risking breeding and spreading of such a toxic species.
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Heather

Does anyone know exactly how Toxic FBT are? From reading on the internet I've seen everything from mildly toxic and "may be" toxic to completely poisonous.

From reading some of the posts, it's pretty clear they are toxic to other frogs and reptiles, and it's clear that they are not very toxic to humans (at least if we don't eat them). But beyond that I'm not getting a clear picture.

I'm finding lots of websites but can't tell how accurate the information is and they seem to contradict each other.

As I said, I have goldfish, mosquito fish, crawfish and bullfrog polywogs all in the pond and I put two FBT in last summer - havn't seen them since but saw one last weekend. And everyone else is alive and well and have been all year

I feel like such a chump amature buying toxic toads at the lilly pond store! LOL

I believe that the toads toxins effect the nervouse system. In humans it causes skin irritations, swelling and redness if eye is touched and stomach upset of hands come in contact with the mouth. Some people have been known to have more serious allergic reactions. When it comes to animals such as cats and dogs it can cause vomiting, loss of appitite, lathargic behaviour, dehydration and even death.

They can also poison themselves if their water is not changed properly.

Being yours have been in a pond that gets rain and such it MAY keep the water cycled enough to not cause problems with the fish and other amphibians. But eventually the toxins could very well build up and kill everything.

Make sure that your cats and dogs do not drink from the pond, just in case. And if you do see that one again, try and catch it and bring it inside. You can keep it in a 10 gallon tank with something like 60 water 40 land. They are quite easy to care for and you can find a number of sheets on line telling you all you need to know to keep them to a ripe old age.

Hope this helps, I'm sure you will get responces from others as well.
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Heather

i was glancing through my book entitled "encyclopida of the terrarium". i read the fbt passage again and it said you can house them in your water garden during the summer.

i think the book needs revised...
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