Fire-Bellied Toads and Barbourulas: Bombinatoridae

Adults generally eat invertebrates (in-VER-teh-brehts), which are animals without backbones. These can include worms and snails, as well as beetles and other insects. The tadpoles of many species will eat insects, too, but usually fill their stomachs mostly with algae (AL-jee), plants, and fungi. Unlike many other types of frogs and toads, the members of this family do not have tongues they can flip out of their mouths to capture prey. Instead, they must lunge at prey and grab their meals with their mouths. This means that a fire-bellied toad, for example, must get close to its prey so it can leap and catch the insect before it can run or fly away. The camouflage pattern on the toad's back helps to hide it from prey and makes this type of hunting more successful.