IUCN Species of the Day: Mallorcan Midwife Toad

 

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(tm)

Photo credit: “Tuurio and Wallie”

 

The Mallorcan Midwife Toad, Alytes muletensis, is listed as ‘VULNERABLE’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Endemic to the island of Mallorca, this species is also named for its unusual parental care, in which the male carries the developing eggs.

The Mallorcan Midwife Toad is restricted to a mountain range in Mallorca. It has undergone a marked decline as a result of predation by the introduced Viperine Snake and competition with the Perez’s Frog, another introduced species. The development of tourism and human settlement on the island is also putting pressure on water resources, and the damming of streams is an additional threat.

As well as being protected under a range of national and international legislation, the Mallorcan Midwife Toad has been the subject of a conservation project involving captive breeding and re-introductions, with several populations already successfully established. Although worries over disease have affected this programme, a new recovery programme is being developed, and control of the Viperine Snake is also underway.

 

Geographic Range of the Mallorcan Midwife ToadCredit: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

 

To learn more about the Mallorcan Midwife Toad, click here.  Or visit the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ by clicking their logo below.

 

Bookmark    and Share

To learn more about the Bush Warriors “Species of the Day” feature, please click here and read up on our initiative to raise awareness about the loss of earth’s biodiversity.

 

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedin