Apennine yellow-bellied toad (Bombina pachypus)

Short answers

Apennine yellow-bellied toad: How big does the enclosure need to be?

80×40×40 cm, half water.

Apennine yellow-bellied toad: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 18–25 °C, basking spot No basking spot, at night 13–18 °C.

Apennine yellow-bellied toad: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended (UVB 2–5 %).

Apennine yellow-bellied toad: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: approx. 15–25 years.

Apennine yellow-bellied toad: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

18–25 °C

Night temperature

13–18 °C

Basking spot

No basking spot

Humidity

Aqua-terrarium

UVB

Recommended (UVB 2–5 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

80×40×40 cm, half water

Substrate

A shallow water section, stones, a land section with moss

Feeding

Food

House crickets, crickets, earthworms

Feeding interval

3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

4–5 cm

Life expectancy

approx. 15–25 years

Origin

Italy – the Apennines

Protection status

Protected; IUCN "Endangered" – populations have collapsed through chytrid fungus

Brumation

Winter dormancy 8–16 weeks at 5–10 °C in damp moss; never keep above 18 °C in winter

Cohabitation

Group. Yellow-bellied toads are sociable and can be kept together without problems among animals of similar size; provide enough land areas and hiding places and feed separately if there are marked size differences. What matters far more: never put different toad species together. Toads hybridise with one another, and the commonly kept fire-bellied toad would ruin a conservation breeding programme for this species.

Notes

Left in only a few remnant Italian populations. Very susceptible to chytrid fungus – strict quarantine and separate equipment are essential with this species.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Oriental fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis) – Beginner
• Yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata) – Intermediate
• Large-webbed bell toad (Bombina maxima) – Beginner
• European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) – Intermediate
• Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) – Intermediate
• Yellow-bellied poison frog (Ameerega hahneli) – Intermediate
• Amazonian horned frog (Ceratophrys cornuta) – Intermediate
• Anderson's salamander (Ambystoma andersoni) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Apennine yellow-bellied toad (Bombina pachypus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (80×40×40 cm, half water), substrate (A shallow water section, stones, a land section with moss), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.