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Alytes obstetricans
Five separate species of midwife toad are found across western Europe, northern Africa, and Majorca. Shy, nocturnal animals, they give away their presence by their ringing call. During the day, the midwife toad hides under stones and logs or in underground tunnels. It often hides in dry, sandy soil, which it finds easier to dig into using its forelegs and snout. It emerges at dusk to forage for food, but always returns to the same hiding places before dawn. During the winter, the common midwife toad hibernates in its hole or in a burrow that has been deserted by a small animal.
The Iberian Midwife Toad or Sapo Partero Ibérico (Alytes cisternasii) is a species of frog in the Discoglossidae family. It is found in Portugal and Spain. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, intermittent rivers, intermittent freshwater marshes, pastureland, and aquaculture ponds. It is threatened by habitat loss. Midwife toads (Alytes) are a genus of frogs in the Discoglossidae family, and are found in most of Europe and northwestern Africa. Characteristic of these toad-like frogs is their parental care: the males carry a string of fertilised eggs on their back, hence the name "midwife".
Spotted in my yard,it's a young one :-)
14 Comments
Thanks amadeus,i love these guys :-) they show up every year,in my backyard ,since 1987 that i have them allways arround
Wow! So small. I love pic 4...shows it blending in with its surroundings so well. Thank you for the information and thank you for sharing! :)
Thanks Ana :-)
Thanks Mark,this one is our "cookluxe"one of the most endangered in Portugal,precious little guys,this year was amazing,we never saw so many little ones in the yard as this year:-)
Very good spotting Anotonio. It is a perfect match for that mossy stone and lichen surface. Great info about the name. Thanks.
thanks J,it's super cute this guys show up during several days,maybee one or two weeks,so tiny:-)
Terrific find, António! I love the detail and perspective in the first photo—the eyes look so big! What a wonderful spotting!
Thanks Leanne
Such a cutie Antonio!
Thanks Ava and Sintija for your nice comments,this one is a cuteness guy :-) so little,this year was a great year for batraquiens in my backyard,many rain in all seasons,they are happy :-)
Nice photos, but the first one is simply amazing! :))
It looks like it's smiling! and those eye are adorable (◕‿◕✿)
Nice series; it's so tiny!
Thanks Hema it's a lovely young one:-)
great spot!