Amphibians · Anura · Alytidae

Iberian Midwife Toad

Alytes cisternasii

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Iberian midwife toad is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, occurring in central and western Spain and in Portugal. Like the other midwife toads, the male carries the eggs wound around his hind legs. It prefers loose, sandy soils in which it can dig, and is one of the species most closely tied to the dehesa, the Iberian wooded pasture.

Size

3 cm – 4.5 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestFreshwaterGrasslandInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Temperate forest Freshwater Grassland

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Fun facts

GeneralThe male carries the eggs wound around his hind legs until they hatch.
The male carries the eggs wound around his hind legs for a month, wetting them in pools and protecting them, until he releases the tadpoles into the water. He may carry the clutches of two different females at once.
It is a strict Iberian endemic: it exists only in Spain and Portugal, and its distribution largely coincides with the dehesa and Mediterranean scrub on sandy soils.
The midwife toads are a very ancient lineage confined to south-western Europe and North Africa, with no close relatives anywhere else in the world.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Dehesa, cistus scrub and seasonal streams of the meseta
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 30 days of development carried by the male
Litter / clutch size: 60 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/