Slipperius Amphibius Wartis

Introductions
Millie and Fee are two Oriental fire-bellied toads with a lot of personality. They are finicky eaters and fun to watch. Here are some helpful hints if ever you should come across these in the wild or in your home.

• Are you a boy, or are you a girl???
  To be awaken by an alarm clock is one thing, but to be awaken by your frog being molested is another. Here I am trying to get a peaceful night's sleep, when I hear a "dog" barking. I am about to go downstairs to let them in when I realize the barking is coming from my terrarium. I look in and Millie has Fee in a death grip around the waist. As Fee struggles to get away, "she" barks and chirps like a cricket, almost screaming. Millie is obviously turned on by this behavior and continues to hold tight as they jump together from rock to rock. Fee even tries to make Millie let go by jumping in the water and going to the bottom. A-ha, the drowning effect. When I bought my frogs, I couldn't tell the difference between them, except for that one was skinny. I named the skinny one Millie and the normal one Fee. Of course, Millie was supposed to be the female and Fee the male. That is just my luck, it appears to be opposite. How do I know? I just don't. I make it up as I go along. If you think of how nature works in all other respects, the female is usually darker colored, smaller and even chubbier. In the case of my firebellies, I think this is true. Fee has grown into quite a fat, dark green, little headed lady, while Millie is a trim, bright lime green, big headed little man - typical. Perhaps the amphibian DNA made them opposite sexes and they are going to reproduce and take over the world!! Or else, they simply grew up and discovered each other. Either way, I'm not worried. If I am wrong, then Millie is a pretty aggressive dominatrix and Fee is a submissive toady. I'd like to think my frogs are not that eccentric.
  

• Don't put them in your mouth!
  These little suckers are poisonous if eaten. Don't worry about picking them up bare-handed, but chewing your frog twenty times before swallowing is not good dental hygeine in this case. Their flaming red belly should warn any prospective hunters that they are not juicy strawberries, but hot like cayenne pepper. Hoooeeee! I garonnteeee. You won't get warts, but wash your hands because frogs and turtles and stuff can carry samonilla bacteria- getting this poisoning will only make you wish you swallowed the frog.

• If they swallow each other, DON'T PANIC!
  Though the image may be gruesome, one frog swallowing the other's head is not as violent as it looks. Upon being excited for food, frogs will jump at the slightest movement. Firebellies don't really use their long tongues, but more or less jump and swallow. Sometimes, they get jealous if the other guy gets a morsel and so will clamp his head in a hungry mouth. The slow motion agony makes you want to pull them apart, but relax. The other will use his froggy fingers to kindly remove the other's mouth from his head. As these frogs have no teeth, no harm done. They can swallow arms and legs, like viscious predators, but slimy frog spit limbs appear back in no time after a little tugging.

• Chopsticks are the best tools at feeding
  Perhaps it is their Oriental background, but the Oriental Fire Belly tends to like being fed by chopstick. Dump an unsuspecting live cricket in the terrarium and then poke it around with the stick. Get it jumping and you will see a live action feeding scene. Usually, the frog will get the cricket half in and you get to watch it wiggle while the froggies use their little red tipped fingers to push the rest into its mouth. As they swallow the crickets whole, watch it kick in the toad's stomach and you can diet with ease. If the cricket happens to be dead, and your frogs are desperate enough, simply make the cricket dance and the frogs will eat it just the same. Try to stay away from insects found in the yard, because they could have insecticides on them.

• Water, Water, Water
  True story: Without water, these frogs will become nothing more than a dried image of a frog that more resembles a leaf. I had a frog that escaped. I searched the house for days and could not find it. Then, I heard my mother screaming downstairs. Running to her rescue, I quickly saw her throw something on the countertop. She had picked it up, thinking it was a dead leaf, but unfortunately, when turned over, there was no mistaking that red belly. Please be careful not to let the frogs escape. Even if they cannot jump out, they sure can climb glass. Without water they are as good as fried froglegs. They can go about a week between feedings, if necessary, but water is vital. Even humans can't survive for more than a couple of days without water- and we don't even have a glossy slime!

It's not easy being green.