As far as toads go, the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata) is relatively petite. It reaches up to 5 cm, about as long as the width of a Harry Potter hardback. On a drizzly Wednesday morning, one yellow-bellied toad pokes two protruding eyes, adorned with heart-shaped pupils, and a pair of nostrils out into the air from the surface of its resident puddle. Nearby, willows (Salix spp.) and poplars (Populus spp.) line the meandering Noce stream, which weaves its way through the Piana Rotaliana area at the entrance of the Val di Non in the Italian province Trentino. Suddenly, a repeating “Uuh…Ooh…Uuh…” sounds through the La Rupe Biotope. An advertisement call: the yellow-bellied toad is out to attract a mate.

Unusually for Aruna, the scientific order containing frogs and toads, yellow-bellied toads like to breed in very shallow ponds, even puddles. These are “Pioneer” in character because they are prone to drying out – disappearing and popping up somewhere else. They are largely free of predators and competitors such as dragonfly larvae, common frogs or newts which prefer to settle in more permanent water bodies [1]. Helpful for little yellow-bellied toad larvae. Yet, puddles are likely to dry out before larvae can complete metamorphosis. To support successful reproduction, females can deposit their eggs multiple times per year, from spring until late summer. If water puddles warm up quickly, development from egg to adult is complete within only a few weeks.

As our yellow-bellied toad lurks around its pond, there is a rustle from the shrubs in the woodland. A slither sounds, and immediately the yellow-bellied toad contorts its entire body. It raises its arms above its head, pulls its legs up, and arches its back in the so-called unkenreflex [2]. Its yellow belly, patched onto a blue-grey, almost black, base, puffs out for all to see. A grass snake (Natrix natrix), hungry yet weary of consuming a poisonous meal, backs off in another direction. Belonging to the genus Bombina – fire-bellied toads – the yellow-bellied toad uses aposematism to warn off potential predators [3]. Its distinctive colouration sends a message that it is toxic and not worth eating. It defends itself by secreting a poisonous white substance from its pores, with irritating to toxic effects [4]. Otherwise, its dark brown and green back acts as camouflage for more relaxed times – a trait called crypsis [3].

“The yellow-bellied toad has suffered due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, pollution, climate change, and the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis”.