Midwife toad

Common Midwife Toad ( Alytes obstetricans )

The midwife toads ( Alytes ) are a genus of frogs and toads ( Anura ), which is counted by the usual here systematics of amphibians to the family Alytidae. It is quite small, phylogenetically " primitive " amphibians with a particular form of parental care.

General features

Midwife toads are small, delicate to squat Anura of mostly nondescript, gray or brown coloring. Her pupils are placed vertically and see in bright light from a slit; the eardrum is usually clearly visible. On the bottom of the front feet are depending on two or three palm. Their calls are reminiscent of bright flutes, whistling or chimes.

Dissemination

The distribution is limited to the western and southwestern Europe, as well as a very small part of northwest Africa. It stands out in particular the Iberian Peninsula forth with the presence of three mainland species and another, endemic to the Balearic kind. Only the Common midwife toad is also found in western Central Europe. In Germany, the Common Midwife Toad in the eastern Harz Foreland reaches its eastern limit of distribution. Two of the species were discovered and described, which is very unusual for vertebrates in Europe in the last decades of the 20th century.

Reproduction

The most striking feature of the genus is the reproductive biology. The males of all types take over during mating ( inguinal amplexus ) ashore to spawn cords from the females by making them wrap after insemination in complicated movements around their hind legs and heel joints. Then they carry the eggs for several weeks around with them until they finally released the hatching tadpoles into a water body. Her early development phase proceeds thus potentially better protected from predators than directly into the water put- spawning other anurans. (For details on reproductive behavior and interpretation of the name to see Common Midwife Toad. )

Taxonomy

Previously, the types of Obstetricians toads were attributed to the Scheibenzünglern ( Discoglossidae ). Depending on systematic overview of this family is now but only in the genus Discoglossus or she is understood as a synonym of Alytidae family, in which case both classes - contained therein - Alytes and Discoglossus. Here the former variant is represented, ie both Alytidae and Discoglossidae be treated as individual mono generic.

• Family Alytidae Fitzinger, 1843 Genus Alytes Wagler, 1830 Type Alytes cisternasii Boscá, 1879 - Iberian Midwife Toad
• Type Alytes dickhilleni Arntzen & García- París, 1995 - Südostiberische midwife toad
• Type Alytes maurus Pasteur & Bons, 1962 - Moorish midwife toad
• Type Alytes muletensis ( Sanchiz & Adrover, 1979) - Mallorca - midwife toad
• Type Alytes obstetricans ( Laurenti, 1768) - Common Midwife Toad

Moorish midwife toad ( Alytes maurus ): The Moorish midwife toad was treated as a subspecies of Alytes obstetricans long and resembles that of sufficient strength. New phylogenetic studies led in 2004 to the delimitation with its own kind of status. Their stocks are limited apparently largely on the Rif Mountains in Morocco. This is therefore the only Alytes - kind outside Europe.

Phylogenetic systematics

A 2004 by I. Martínez- Solano, HA Gonçalves, JW Arntzen and M. García- París phylogenetic study of the genus revealed the following cladogram:

Alytes obstetricans boscai

Alytes obstetricans obstetricans

Alytes obstetricans pertinax

Alytes obstetricans almogavarii

Alytes maurus

Alytes dickhilleni

Alytes muletensis

Alytes cisternasii

The sister group of the genus is the genus Alytes Discoglossus.

Others

Midwife toads were also known by the characteristics of forgery allegations experiments by Paul Kammerer to have proved in which in 1924 claimed that the thumb calluses of male toads by inheritance of acquired characteristics ( Lamarckism ) be passed on to offspring.

Protection

Legal protection status

• Fauna-Flora -Habitat Directive (FFH Directive): In Annex II ( " it specially protected areas are to be reported " ) is the Mallorca- midwife toad; to Annex IV ( " strictly protected species " ) also this and the Iberian and the Common Midwife Toad. Alytes was dickhilleni not been described at the time of the first appearance of the Habitats Directive (1992 ) as a separate species, is likely to fall under Annex IV as the exclusion of A. cisternasii but also. The Moorish midwife toad occurs outside the purview of the Habitats Directive in Africa.
• Furthermore, all European amphibians are considered " special protection " under federal Wildlife Trade Regulation, provided that they are not " strictly protected ".