The Oriental fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis) is a small semiaquatic frog species found in northeastern Asia, where they primarily dwell in slow-moving bodies of water and temperate forests.

While their population is in decline, their numbers are still high overall, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rating them as a least-concern species.

[3][4] The toad was later divided into two subspecies in 1972, B. o. practicola and B. o. silvatica, with the former being more aquatic and the latter more terrestrial, although newer research has found them to display few genetic differences, despite some physical ones.

[6] In the late Quaternary, seismic activity at the Yilan–Yitong fault zone is believed to have split the toad into two subpopulations in its native range, with the much smaller western one having low genetic diversity.

[7] Oriental fire-bellied toads can be bright, grayish, or brownish green, with black mottling on their dorsal regions.

Like other Bombina species, B. orientalis has a brightly colored ventral region, which can be yellow, red, or orange-red, mottled with dark spots.

They will jump onto the backs of any other fire-bellied toad that happens to pass by, which in some cases will cause them to accidentally attempt to mate with other species of amphibians, fish, plants, or even human fingers.

[8] Unusually for a frog species, the Oriental fire-bellied toad does not have an eardrum or resonator, making their calls by inhaling.

[12] While vocalizing, males will attempt to space out their calls so as to avoid overlap between different individuals, a behavior also observed in European fire-bellied toads.

[11] The toxin is secreted through the skin mostly from the hind legs, and sometimes the belly, in a milky substance when the frog is disturbed or frightened.

When producing this substance, the frogs may also lie on their backs to show the color of their bellies, indicating their potential danger, holding up their limbs and arching their heads.

In an experiment, slightly dehydrated toads were found able solve both simple and more complex mazes using water as a reinforcement, unlike other types of frogs (members of Rana, Bufo, and Hyla simply either did not try or leapt around aimlessly).

[24] As common amphibians, B. orientalis make excellent model organisms for studying the effects of pollution and toxic chemicals on local environments.

[25][26] The oriental fire-bellied toad was listed as least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with little threat of extinction, although the population is declining, but not at a significant rate.

[10] Handling can require caution, as although harmless to the skin, the mucus can cause discomfort to the mouth and eyes,[8] however captive individuals generally are less toxic.