The earliest known Amphibian, Midwife Toad has continously lived on the earth for about 350 million years. Unlike many other Amphibians, Midwife Toad has a wide, flat tongue. Another way that this Toad is unusual, is that the females proactively look for mates.
Midwife Toad gets His name from the male’s parenting style. After mating, Father Midwife Toad carries the eggs, wrapped around His body until the Polliwogs are ready to hatch. At that time, He places His hind legs in the water. The Polliwogs then burst out of the eggs and move into the water.
Midwife Toad teaches the importance of fathers in families.
Conservation Note: The Midwife Toad is endangered in the U.K. and many parts of Europe. The Midwife Toad is a protected species in the United Kingdom.
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Photo of Midwife Toad courtesy of the Open University Ecology and Evolution Research Group (U.K.)
Va. Carper
September 22, 2002