What is "midwife toad"

n. Any species of the genus ''Alytes'', the males of which carry fertilised eggs on their backs.

1. n. similar in habit to Alytes obstetricians [syn: Alytes cisternasi]

2. European toad whose male carries the fertilized eggs wrapped around its hind legs until they hatch [syn: obstetrical toad, Alytes obstetricans]

Midwife toads (Alytes) are a genus of frogs in the Alytidae family (formerly Discoglossidae), and are found in most of Europe and northwestern Africa. Characteristic of these toad-like frogs is their parental care: the males carry a string of fertilised eggs on their back, hence the name " midwife". The female expels a strand of eggs, which the male fertilizes externally. He then wraps them around his legs to protect them from predators in the water. When they are ready to hatch, the male wades into shallow water, where he allows the tadpoles to leap out of their eggs. Five separate species of midwife toad are found across western Europe, northern Africa, and Majorca.

Midwife toads can be found in the snows of the Pyrenees, living at heights of 5,000–6,500 feet in areas such as the Néouvielle massif. Unlike the thin tongue of many amphibians, the midwife's tongue is round and flattened; its former family name, Discoglossidae, means "round tongue". In parts of France midwife toads live in sand dunes by the sea. They share this habitat with natterjack toads.