#1847 · 🐸 amphibians
Common Midwife Toad
🇳🇱 Vroedmeesterpad ·Alytes obstetricans
10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences
- 1. © Nicolas HELITAS · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 2. © Diego González Dopico · CC BY 4.0
- 3. © Daniele Seglie · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 4. © pedroluna_wildlife · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 5. © davidchas · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 6. © Julian Boute · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 7. © Matti Brandon · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 8. © biodoor · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 9. © age02 · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 10. © age02 · CC BY-NC 4.0
what is it?
The common midwife toad ( Alytes obstetricans ) is a species of midwife frog in the family Alytidae (formerly Discoglossidae). It is found in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (although, in the latter, only as an introduction). 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.
base stats
Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).
fun facts
- Spotted 31 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #13 most seen of the amphibians in NL.
- 6,467 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
- Scientifically named by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in 1768 (258 years ago).
- Dutch status: Only a handful populations of Alytes obstetricans in the Netherlands remain due to habitat loss and fungal disease. Population recovery is limited due to lack of habitat management and high recreational pressure in and around habitats..
fact sheet
- English
- Common Midwife Toad
- Nederlands
- Vroedmeesterpad
- scientific name
- Alytes obstetricans
- class
- Amphibia
- order
- Anura
- family
- Alytidae
- IUCN Red List
- LC · least concern
- Dutch status
- Only a handful populations of Alytes obstetricans in the Netherlands remain due to habitat loss and fungal disease. Population recovery is limited due to lack of habitat management and high recreational pressure in and around habitats.
- sightings in NL
- 31
- sightings in Europe
- 5,898
- sightings worldwide
- 6,467
- GBIF records in NL
- 6,347
- weight
- —
- length
- —
- lifespan
- —
- named
- 1768 by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti
IUCN in Dutch: niet bedreigd. Blank means the sources don't say.
relatives· Alytidae
#1874 📷 10Iberian Painted Frog
🇳🇱 Iberische schijftongkikker
Discoglossus galganoi
LC 🌍 2.9k seen
#1875 📷 10Mediterranean Painted Frog
🇳🇱 Schijftongkikker
Discoglossus pictus
LC 🌍 2.7k seen
#1888 📷 10Catalonian Midwife Toad
Alytes almogavarii
LC 🌍 658 seen
#1889 📷 10Tyrrhenian Painted Frog
🇳🇱 Sardijnse Schijftongkikker
Discoglossus sardus
LC 🌍 576 seen
#1892 📷 7Iberian Midwife Toad
🇳🇱 Iberische Vroedmeesterpad
Alytes cisternasii
LC 🌍 522 seen
#1902 📷 10Corsican Painted Frog
🇳🇱 Corsicaanse Schijftongkikker
Discoglossus montalentii
NT 🌍 245 seen
Sources: iNaturalist taxon 24473, Wikidata Q837990, GBIF 2426612, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.