Details
Alytes obstetricans
The common midwife toad is a small Palearctic amphibian tied to forest and freshwater habitats. It is a solitary nocturnal carnivore known for male egg care.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It lives in damp places near woodland, stone walls, grassland, and water. Nearby ponds or pools are needed for tadpole development.
Body length is about 3-6 cm and weight about 5-20 g. A squat body, warty skin, and muted colors help it blend with the ground.
It is nocturnal and solitary. By day it hides under stones or in holes, emerging at night to forage.
It is carnivorous, eating small insects, spiders, worms, and similar prey. It hunts close to the ground.
Males wrap strings of fertilized eggs around their hind legs. When hatching nears, they move to water and release the larvae.
Its conservation status is LC. Successful breeding needs both terrestrial shelter and clean nearby water.
