The Majorcan Midwife Toad (Alytes muletensis) is a small freshwater amphibian in the Alytidae family of toads. It is a vulnerable species.
The Majorcan Midwife Toad can be a variety of colours, but it is generally brownish to yellowish or greenish, with several irregular dark spots along its body. It has big, bulging dark eyes, suited to living in the dark. It has long legs with webbed feet that enable it to climb over rocks.
The female is usually larger than the male. It grows to 3-4 centimetres (1.0-1.5 inches) in length. It is one of the smallest toads in the world.
It is native to the Balearic Island of Majorca in the Mediterranean Sea. It prefers the mountainous areas. It lives in and near freshwater ponds.
It is nocturnal, mostly active at night.
It is insectivorous, eating insects such as flies, gnats, and midges.
The Majorcan Midwife Toad is solitary or seen in pairs.
The life cycle is egg, tadpole, and toad. The female lays 7-12 eggs. The male carries the eggs on his back, and keeps them wet. He enters pond or stream water when the eggs are ready to hatch. The eggs hatch in 5-15 days into tadpoles. The tadpoles undergo metamorphosis in which they lose their tail, transform their gills (that help them to breathe underwater) into lungs (that can breathe air), and grow legs. They change their bodies as they grow into adult toads.
Its average lifespan is 10 years.
Location of photographs: Parc Zoologique de Paris in Bois de Vincennes, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM