# Frogs & Toads > Fire Belly Toads (Bombina) >  Fire Bellied Toad Age

## dragonmetalhead

My fire bellied toad Joe is currently about 21 years old. He was my very first pet, along with another toad named Tony who died after 19 years. According to http://www.pondturtle.com/lfrog.html which lists the ages for captive herps, Joe is older than the oldest fire belly on record. Who do I contact to I get Joe the recognition he deserves? Thanks.

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## Autumn

You could send an e-mail to the website owners of pondturtle.com (their e-mail adress is found at the bottom of the page for the link you provided), informing them about Joe's age. There are probably other ways, but I'm not sure what they are. We'll see what others here have to say  :Smile: .

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## s6t6nic6l

21 !!! outstanding. i commend you on their upkeep. on the record side i would gather it would be hard for you get the recognition you deserve without some sort of record/proof etc to show for his long being. hope you can dispel this though, will be nice for you to achieve this goal, good luck.

now, tell us how we keep "our" slimehoppers to a long and happy existence. you must be doing something right. a caresheet maybe  :Smile:

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## dragonmetalhead

Thank you, guys. I did email the website, but it looks like it hasn't been active in a few years. I also tried emailing the Guiness World Record people. Most of the time when I tell people how old Joe is, I'm told my folks pulled the ole' switcheroo on me when I was young and the original Joe is likely long dead. First off, Joe is at least three or four times as big as any fire belly I've ever seen in a pet store. Second, I've had him long enough to recognize his patterning so I know fort a fact it's the same animal. When I recently asked my mom is she had ever switched out a frog, she was legitimately offended/hurt and assured me that had never happened (I apologized, I love my mom  :Smile: ).
Honestly, it really isn't a very elaborate setup. The care sheets you read at PetSmart are more detailed than my care. My frog lives in a critter tote-style tank (we get a new one every few years) that has some pond gravel in it and a basking platform. Literally as basic as you get. The water is changed/refilled as necessary and I always add four drops of some of that water-cleaning stuff that prevents algal growth. Joe gets two or three crickets at a time a few times a week (if I put in as many as I did when I had two, he wouldn't be able to swim amid all the drowned crickets). IMO fire bellied toads are the easiest reptile/amphibian pet to care for.

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## Firebelly love

WOW!! 21......How?

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## jen63

I got one of my fb's 19 years ago, and his mate a year later. They live in an unheated tank with moss, rocks & 2 ponds (1 each). They don't hibernate & I have always fed them small earthworms. I tried crickets once but they didn't like them. They look just the same as they did when I got them, only fatter! I agree with you, they are very easy to care for.

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## ScumBum

> Thank you, guys. I did email the website, but it looks like it hasn't been active in a few years. I also tried emailing the Guiness World Record people. Most of the time when I tell people how old Joe is, I'm told my folks pulled the ole' switcheroo on me when I was young and the original Joe is likely long dead. First off, Joe is at least three or four times as big as any fire belly I've ever seen in a pet store. Second, I've had him long enough to recognize his patterning so I know fort a fact it's the same animal. When I recently asked my mom is she had ever switched out a frog, she was legitimately offended/hurt and assured me that had never happened (I apologized, I love my mom ).
> Honestly, it really isn't a very elaborate setup. The care sheets you read at PetSmart are more detailed than my care. My frog lives in a critter tote-style tank (we get a new one every few years) that has some pond gravel in it and a basking platform. Literally as basic as you get. The water is changed/refilled as necessary and I always add four drops of some of that water-cleaning stuff that prevents algal growth. Joe gets two or three crickets at a time a few times a week (if I put in as many as I did when I had two, he wouldn't be able to swim amid all the drowned crickets). IMO fire bellied toads are the easiest reptile/amphibian pet to care for.


Do you have any pictures of Joe and his tank ?

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## 4mb3r

21?? Amazing! I had a FBT names frank for many years, but never that long!!

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## Niels D

Can we see pics of the old man, because I'm really curious.

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## Samantha

OMG!!! 21!!! Fantastic!!! I really want to see a pic of your tank!! My toads are 8yrs old, they live in a un heated tank with gravel, basking areas and 2 deep ponds. Would really like to know your secret as 21 is a fab age  :Smile:  Well done. x

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## jen63

> OMG!!! 21!!! Fantastic!!! I really want to see a pic of your tank!! My toads are 8yrs old, they live in a un heated tank with gravel, basking areas and 2 deep ponds. Would really like to know your secret as 21 is a fab age  Well done. x


Hi Samantha
As you can see from the date, I did that post 2 years ago, but both my toads are still going strong! I know for sure the date I got my first, from a pet shop, as I was in my second year at Uni. I got the second to keep him company a few months later.
Here's some pics I've just taken



The tank is 30" long by 12" by 12". It has ordinary compost base with moss and ivy growing on it. There's a flat stone where I put the small earthworms they eat, to stop them wriggling away too quick. The toads jump out of the pond and on to the rock when I move the lid, ready for food!

They have one, shallow pond, and I only feed them earthworms. I had to try waxworms and mealworms in the summer, when I couldn't find any earthworms, but they didn't like them.

They have a small overhead bulb on each evening. That's basically all I do, apart from keep the water clean. They're so easy. I would have liked to breed them, but mine are both males. (They both jump on each other occassionally).

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## Carlos

Very nice tank Jen  :Smile:  !  Your 19 and the OP's 21 year old FBTs are really long lived frogs  :Big Applause:  .

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