Common Midwife Toad
EN

Common Midwife Toad

Alytes obstetricans

UnknownLCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_midwife_toad

Overview

The common midwife toad is a species of midwife frog in the family Alytidae. It is found in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Like other members of its genus (Alytes), the male toad carries the eggs around entwined on his back and thighs until they are ready to hatch.

The Common Midwife Toad faces severe population declines primarily due to the devastating chytrid fungal disease (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), which has caused mass mortality events across its range. Additional pressures from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change have further compromised remaining populations, making this once-common species increasingly vulnerable to extinction.

Threat summary

Habitat

The common midwife toad is found in a number of countries in north west Europe. It is common throughout France and is also found in southern Belgium and the Netherlands, Luxembourg, western Germany and northern and western Switzerland. There are some disconnected outlying populations in Portugal and northern Spain. In the Pyrenees it is found at altitudes of up to . Researchers have noted a...

FRESHWATER· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Frequently asked questions

Why is Common Midwife Toad classified as Endangered?
Common Midwife Toad is classified as Endangered — facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild — because population numbers are declining steeply and key habitats are under sustained pressure. The Common Midwife Toad faces severe population declines primarily due to the devastating chytrid fungal disease (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), which has caused mass mortality events across its range. Additional pressures from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change have further compromised remaining populations, making this once-common species increasingly vulnerable to extinction.
Where does Common Midwife Toad live?
Common Midwife Toad occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Common Midwife Toad?
The main threats to Common Midwife Toad are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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