The Yellow-bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) is on the first sight only a dull-colored toad, often overlooked in the shallow waters it inhabits. It is only when it feels threatened or when picked up that one can see where the name comes from. These beautiful toads belong to the family Bombinatoridae, another old lineage compromising 8 species that are all found in Eurasia. It is this species that gave its name to a particular antipredator behavior: the unkenreflex (after the German name “Unke“), which can be seen in the second picture. The first picture was taken several years ago in Slovenia. The second one just two weeks ago in Macedonia (subspecies B. variegata scabra).
