Bombinatoridae
Encyclopedia
Bombinatoridae are often referred to as Fire-bellied toad
s because of their brightly colored ventral sides, which show that they are highly toxic to humans. This family
includes two genera, Barbourula
and Bombina, both of which have flattened bodies.
Bombina are warty, aquatic toads about 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in length, and most noted for the bright bellies. They often display the unken reflex when disturbed; the animal will arch its back and limbs to expose the bright belly, and may turn over on its back. This acts as a warning to predators. The vocal behavior of some Bombina is unusual in that the call is produced during inhalation rather than exhalation as in other frogs. They lay pigmented eggs in ponds.
Barbourula occur in the Philippine Islands and Borneo, while Bombina species are found throughout Eurasia
. They are slightly less colored than Bombina, and possess webbed fingers in addition to webbed toes. Tadpole
s of Barbourula are unknown.
Barbourula was considered to be situated intermediate between Discoglossus
and Bombina, but closer to the latter, and was therefore also added to the Bombinatoridae when that family was split from the Discoglossidae
.
Fossil Bombina are known from the Pliocene
to the Pleistocene
; there are no known fossils of Barbourula.
Fire-bellied toad
The Fire-bellied Toads is a group comprising eight species of small toads belonging to the genus Bombina...
s because of their brightly colored ventral sides, which show that they are highly toxic to humans. This family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
includes two genera, Barbourula
Barbourula
Barbourula is a genus of amphibian commonly referred to as jungle toads. They are small toads of the fire-bellied toad family, Bombinatoridae, found in the Philippines and Borneo.- Species :...
and Bombina, both of which have flattened bodies.
Bombina are warty, aquatic toads about 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in length, and most noted for the bright bellies. They often display the unken reflex when disturbed; the animal will arch its back and limbs to expose the bright belly, and may turn over on its back. This acts as a warning to predators. The vocal behavior of some Bombina is unusual in that the call is produced during inhalation rather than exhalation as in other frogs. They lay pigmented eggs in ponds.
Barbourula occur in the Philippine Islands and Borneo, while Bombina species are found throughout Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. They are slightly less colored than Bombina, and possess webbed fingers in addition to webbed toes. Tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s of Barbourula are unknown.
Barbourula was considered to be situated intermediate between Discoglossus
Discoglossus
Discoglossus is a genus of frogs in the Discoglossidae family found in southern Europe, northwestern Africa, Israel, and perhaps Syria.-Species:...
and Bombina, but closer to the latter, and was therefore also added to the Bombinatoridae when that family was split from the Discoglossidae
Discoglossidae
Discoglossidae is a family of primitive frogs, with the common name Disc-Tongued Frogs. Most are endemic to Europe, but there are also three species in North-West Africa, and an extinct species formerly occurred in Israel....
.
Fossil Bombina are known from the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
to the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
; there are no known fossils of Barbourula.
Species
Family BOMBINATORIDAE- Genus BarbourulaBarbourulaBarbourula is a genus of amphibian commonly referred to as jungle toads. They are small toads of the fire-bellied toad family, Bombinatoridae, found in the Philippines and Borneo.- Species :...
- Barbourula busuangensis - Busuanga Jungle Toad
- Barbourula kalimantanensis - Kalimantan Jungle Toad
- Genus Bombina
- Bombina bombina - Common Firebelly Toad
- Bombina fortinuptialis - Guangxi Firebelly Toad
- Bombina lichuanensis - Lichuan Firebelly Toad
- Bombina maxima - Yunnan Firebelly Toad
- Bombina microdeladigitora - Hubei Firebelly Toad
- Bombina orientalisBombina orientalisThe Oriental Fire-bellied Toad, is a small semi-aquatic frog species found in Korea, north-eastern China and adjacent parts of Russia. An introduced population exists near Beijing. They are commonly kept as pets in land and water vivariums...
- Oriental Firebelly Toad - Bombina pachypus - Apennine Firebelly Toad
- Bombina variegata - Yellow-bellied Toad