Yellow-bellied toad
Bombina variegata
The yellow-bellied toad is a small amphibian with a warty, grayish-brown back and a bright yellow underside with bluish-black spots. It prefers temporary small bodies of water for breeding, often found in pioneer landscapes such as quarries or military training areas. The pupils are characteristically heart-shaped or triangular. As a pioneer species, it relies on dynamic habitats that are regularly recreated.
Details
Identification
Heart-shaped pupils, warty skin surface, bright yellow belly with unique individual spot patterns.
Social behavior
Found in groups at water bodies during the breeding season, otherwise rather solitary; males produce quiet, subtle calls.
Diet
Adults feed on insects, spiders, and worms; larvae feed on algae and organic detritus.
Hunting strategy
Ambush predator that perceives prey through visual stimuli and captures it with quick snaps.
Spawning substrate
Shallow, sunny small water bodies; eggs are attached in small clumps to plants or branches.
Overwintering
Overwintering on land in burrows, under deadwood, or stones in frost-free hiding places.
Ecology
Ecological role
Important consumer in pioneer ecosystems and prey for various birds and snakes.
Natural predators
Grass snake, grey heron, mallard, as well as dragonfly larvae and diving beetles for the tadpoles.
Competitor species
Other amphibian larvae during food shortages; avoids water bodies with high fish populations.
Ecosystem service
Contribution to the regulation of insect populations and part of the food chain in temporary waters.
Threats
Habitat loss through filling of small water bodies, abandonment of quarries, pesticides, and fragmentation.
Scientific profile
Profile
Distinguishing features
Characteristic features include heart-shaped or triangular pupils and the absence of a visible tympanum. When threatened, they display the 'Unkenreflex', arching their back to reveal the yellow warning colors on the underside of their limbs.
Role in food web
Secondary consumer; serves as prey for grass snakes, various bird species (e.g., herons), and predatory insect larvae (during the larval stage).
Protection & threats
Main threats
Loss of pioneer habitats due to succession, filling of small water bodies, intensification of agriculture and forestry, and landscape fragmentation caused by road construction.
Population trend
Strongly declining in Germany; the conservation status is mostly classified as 'unfavourable-bad' according to FFH reporting.
Conservation measures
Creation and maintenance of temporary small water bodies, keeping quarries open, grazing to prevent succession, and reconnecting isolated populations.