DailyFrog-MidwifeToad

𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒚! 🐸 Common Midwife Toad

The most notable feature of the Midwife Toad (Alytes obstetricans) is no doubt its parental strategy. To reproduce, females lay eggs wrapped in sticky strands, which the male collects and wraps around his back legs. He can carry up to 3 clutches in this way (up to 150 eggs!), where he keeps them moist for 3-8 weeks.

When the eggs are about to hatch, he releases them in some calm, shallow water, where they hatch into tadpoles. They will develop for several months, and may even overwinter as very large tadpoles!

When feeling threatened, Alytes obstetricans inflates itself to look bigger, and may even rear on all limbs, raise its rear, lower its head, and close its eyes in a threatening posture. What a striking pose!

They like to live in sunny areas within 1600ft of water, and are often found in hills, rocky areas, woods, parks, gardens, quarries, and cultivated land. It hides during the day and emerges at dusk, foraging during the night for invertebrates and carrion.

In the winter it digs itself a burrow and hibernates until spring beckons with the return of warm temperatures.

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