Betic Midwife Toad

• The male carries the eggs: he winds the string of spawn around his hind legs and carries it for weeks, moistening it in pools and protecting it from predators, until he releases the tadpoles into the water. It is one of the most singular forms of parental care in the animal world.
• It is a strict Spanish endemic: it exists only in the Baetic ranges of the south-east of the peninsula, and many of its populations depend on water troughs and springs built for livestock.
• The abandonment of grazing and the sealing of traditional springs and troughs are removing the water points it needs, and the chytrid fungus has caused die-offs in several populations in Sierra Nevada.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)

Habitat and environment

Streams, springs, water troughs and mountain pools of the Baetic ranges, in south-eastern Spain

Birth weight

Hatches as a tadpole, after being carried by the male

Size at birth

The male carries the strings of eggs tangled around his hind legs until they hatch

Sexual maturity

2 years

Gestation / incubation

40 days of development carried by the male

Litter / clutch size

50 eggs

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Alytes dickhilleni

Best time: From March to September, on mild nights, at springs, stock tanks and streams of the Baetic ranges; it is detected by its bell-like call.

The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.