# Green and Blue fire bellied toads



## ashcroft7 (Dec 11, 2011)

Afternoon guys.

Got my hands on 2 green oriental firebellied toad toads 4 odd weeks back from a reptile store, 2 weeks later picked up another 2 from a private breeder.
The 2 I got from the store are bright green with lovely red bellies, the 2 from a private breeder are very turquoise/blue with yellow bellies.
Now I'm assuming this is most probably down to a poor diet in their previous home? Or are they a different breed or have different origins? They get on perfectly fine with the other two, eat well and are very active! 
I'm just wondering if over time with a better diet will they change colour? Not that I'm complaining as they are beautiful! 
Picture below.


Thanks.


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

I'm going to have an educated guess here that the two bright green ones bought from the shop are WC, and the ones from the breeder are CB.
Generally it's quite difficult to get the bright red bellies in captive bred FBTs, they mostly end up an orangey-yellow.
As for the blues, they look to be the specially bred Blue phase, same species just different paint job... and I would expect are in high demand... If there was some up north i'd certainly be having a couple for my group.


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## ashcroft7 (Dec 11, 2011)

The 2 I bought from a shop have very red bellies.
Can you tell me what you mean by WC and CB?
So you saying they are in high demand (the blue ones), means I should probably take a few more as they were very very cheap.... 
The breeder did say they are that colour due to their diet, and didnt mention anything about a differen morph or anything?


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

My guess is totally uneducated,no experience to draw on,but i'm with Red. 

Oh CB= captive bred
WC= wild caught

Have a read of Ron's thread (Ron Magpie) on FBT's,it's not too far away,it might help

best

Stu


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I've never come across 'blue' FBTs, but I can confirm that captive-bred ones often have the more yellow belly. I do recall it being mentioned that 'blue-phase' White's treefrogs are usually that colour because of a dietry imbalance- the same _may _apply here.


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## ashcroft7 (Dec 11, 2011)

Interesting! Well I will keep a eye on them, I may even purchase more, and if I am lucky enough to breed them I will let you know!
I can't find anything what so ever on the Internet!


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

I first saw them here - 










Bombina orientalis - chov
and reading through a translated version, it appears they were bred by 'Miroslava Koukala' from Kralup nad Vltavou (a town in the Czech Republic) from specimens imported from Korea in the late 70's & 80's.
Interesting about the whites Ron... never heard that.... but looking at Bombina orientalis - chov it may well be correct... 
in his pictures they go from










to


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## ashcroft7 (Dec 11, 2011)

Wow that's really interesting thank you!
The bottom photo looks identical to mine, so there is a high chance I have some of the blue phase?


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

REDDEV1L said:


> I first saw them here -
> 
> image
> 
> ...


So, you think it *is *dietry, then?


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Ron Magpie said:


> So, you think it *is *dietry, then?


Or, glancing at red's post, 30plus years of inbreeding? I don't know Ron,just struck me tis all. Looking back over you post about fire bellied diet and it's relation to colour seemed the obvious. but as a guy skooled in line breeding ha by moi, now I wonder.

Ash don't take my ramblings as anything,tis just an enquiring mind tis all.

curiosity

stu


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Very interesting! I wonder how these would respond to our new formula,? I have seen these blue ones before and just assumed that they were out of colour! Now I'm inclined to ponder.

John,


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## ashcroft7 (Dec 11, 2011)

Arcadiajohn said:


> Very interesting! I wonder how these would respond to our new formula,? I have seen these blue ones before and just assumed that they were out of colour! Now I'm inclined to ponder.
> 
> John,


John what do you mean by your new formula?
I'm going to keep these on the same diet for the next month or so, if they stay this lovely colour I will most probably get my hands on quite a few more if anyone is interested.......?


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## Caleb (Oct 21, 2009)

Blue colour on firebellies' backs certainly can be related to diet in some cases.

The green colour is made up from blue & yellow pigments- the yellow comes from a mixture of carotenoids and pterins. Red/orange/yellow belly colour comes only from carotenoids.

Carotenoids come directly from their diet, pterins do not. 

My firebellies were once jade-like blue-green with yellow bellies, and are now bright green with orange bellies.

I've seen photos of the supposedly blue strain before- but never any with orange or red bellies.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Caleb said:


> Blue colour on firebellies' backs certainly can be related to diet in some cases.
> 
> The green colour is made up from blue & yellow pigments- the yellow comes from a mixture of carotenoids and pterins. Red/orange/yellow belly colour comes only from carotenoids.
> 
> ...


The belly colour is deffo down to diet- unlike darts, FBTs make their own toxins, but absorb their bright colours from their diet. As I said above, the green colour makes just as much sense.


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## GodHamgod (Oct 3, 2021)

ashcroft7 said:


> Afternoon guys.
> 
> Got my hands on 2 green oriental firebellied toad toads 4 odd weeks back from a reptile store, 2 weeks later picked up another 2 from a private breeder.
> The 2 I got from the store are bright green with lovely red bellies, the 2 from a private breeder are very turquoise/blue with yellow bellies.
> ...


Pardon me for replying to such an old post. My name is Jim and I'm an enthusiast. Do you remember the breeder that you got them from? I've been looking all over for them and I'd appreciate any help. Thanks for your consideration.


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