FBT Feeding Habits and Sexing

[Evilwezal]

I've brought home 4 Fire Bellied Toads from the local petstore last night. The Petstore owner said he fed them 3 or 4 crickets a week. I'm also giving them a few small wax worms. Do I need to dust FBT's food in some vitamin powder?

I've just been tossing the crickets in the tank, and I try to place the worms infront of the toads. How does every one else feed there toads?

Also is there a way to figure out what sex I've got? I bought four in the hope I would get at least a female in the bunch.

Also I've noticed some of the frogs will change color from green to a brown some times. does that mean any thing?

Thanks.

[Evilwezal]

Is there no one that can offer some advise?

[Wolfkill]

I use a little reptile food dish for the wax worms power feed them Med size night crawlers they love them, just dangle one end in front them for min they'll mow them down. As far as the crickets go I just throw em in there. Hah hah ahh ahhhh Natures Popcorn
Mike.Wolfkill

[JohnEDove]

I bred B. orientalis for a while and found there is no set count to feed. One feeding they might eat 8 crickets, the next they might only eat 2 of the same sized crickets.
Your best bet is to offer an adult FBT about 6 prey items and if they eat that in under 15 minutes offer another. If they don't eat the six remove the uneaten prey.
Alsoi be sure to vary the prey if you want them to have a ballanced nutritional diet.
I used Silkworms, Crickets, Meal Worms, Fly Larva, Earth Worms and occasionally Wax Worms.

Edit; Feed Adults two or three times a week and Juvies every day.

[JohnEDove]

UGH!!
Sorry I missed some of your questions.
Sexing
Though it can sometimes be difficult to sex FBTs there are a number of things you can check and watch for.
Females are generally larger than males of the same age and the skin on their backs is generally smoother.
Males are usually smaller than same age females, the skin on their backs is generally rougher, during the mating season males develop nuptial pads on the first and second fingers and males are the ones that sing/croak/bark/etc.
*Note the nuptial pads on males are often present outside of mating season but may be difficult to see.

Color Change
They change color for many reasons. Stress, Temps, backround color and health can all affect their color.

Supplements
The prey insects should be gut loaded and dusted with multi vitamin as well as calcium supplements at each feeding.

[Wolfkill]

Man you know allot about FBTs. I have one thats I would have to say the better part of 3 or 3 1/4 inches. Is that big for a fire belly?
Thanks Mike.Wolfkill

[Evilwezal]

Thanks for the help guys. It think I may have 4 juvies on my hand. seems 2 are older while 2 are younger. One is about a 1 1/2 long and 2 are about 2 inches long. I've purchased some crickets from the petstore,but they were all adult crickets. Im not sure if my toads can handle that size. I've also been feeding them some meal worms the last 2 days trying to get them comfortable and well feed. they seemed alittle peckish when I brought them home. They gladly gobble up the worms once they figure out how to eat them.

My next plan of action is too train the frogs were the feeding place is. I've a small blue ceramic dish I can place in the vivarium. I'll place some worms and other goodies there. hopefully I will beable to get to come to that spot once I have a 55gallon vivarium for them. It's hard getting them all in one place. I've tosed about 10 crickets in the vivarium the last two days and I can only spot 1 tonight. so hopefully the toads are munching on them. I've yet to see one get eaten,but I think they are alittle large for a couple of the toads. I'm going to order some 1/8th or 1/4th crickets from petco tomorrow. Hopefully that will help. Any other suggestions would be great.

[JohnEDove]

Originally Posted by Wolfkill

Man you know allot about FBTs. I have one thats I would have to say the better part of 3 or 3 1/4 inches. Is that big for a fire belly?
Thanks Mike.Wolfkill

Adults can hit a snout to vent of about 3.5 inches or a smidgen larger but the average is around 2.75 so yes you could say you have a big one. I’m guessing it is a female?

[Wolfkill]

I try to watch feeding meal worms or supper worms to my frogs there shells can back a frog up for little bit. The night crawlers are really good. You would never think that a little frog could eat something that big mine stuff them down.
I lucked out I have pet shop that carries small med and large crickets.
The only thing I feed the large to is my bull frogie. He's big and he can handle the large ones.
Mike.Wolfkill

[Evilwezal]

I'll go to the local bait store tomorrow and get some earth worms. I live on the 3rd largest man made lake in America. so those are no problem lol.