You startle me, you don’t

Abstract

Yellow-and fire-bellied toads (genus Bombina) exhibit textbook examples of a peculiar behavior known as the “unken reflex”, a defense mechanism used to startle predators. When a predator’s attack is perceived as imminent and unavoidable, these dorsally camouflaged toads contract their dorsal muscles, suddenly arch their body, expose their vividly colored ventral side, and release toxins from their skin glands