Common Name: Common Midwife Toad
Scientific Name: Alytes obstetricans
Family: Alytidae – Painted Frogs and Midwife Toad family
Location: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.
Introduced Location: United Kingdom
Size: 1.5 – 2.1 inches (39 – 55 mm)
The Midwife Toad is named after the fact that the male toads take care of their eggs like a midwife. The mating season starts at the end of winter but differs in location. In Germany, the season goes from end of March to the start of August while in Spain, it goes from mid February to end of July. The male toads will call to attract the female toads during this time.
Once the female toad arrives, the male toad grasps her from behind in amplexus. Then, the female toad lays her eggs and the male frog fertilizes them. Next, comes the midwife part. The male toad wraps the eggs around his legs and back and carries them around until they watch. To keep the eggs moist, the toad takes baths in water bodies. It usually takes three to six weeks for the eggs to hatch into tadpoles so imagine how hard that must be for the males to carry them around.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Common Midwife Toad as Least Concern for Extinction. The toad has wide range and a presumed large population.