The Alytidae are a family of primitive frogs. Their common name is painted frogs or midwife toads. Most are endemic to Europe, but three species occur in northwest Africa, and a species formerly thought to be extinct is found in Israel.
Midwife toads are a genus (Alytes) of frogs in the family Alytidae, and are found in most of Continental Europe and Northwestern Africa. It has also been introduced to Great Britain. Characteristic of these toad-like frogs is their parental care; the males carry a string of fertilised eggs on their backs, 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 toads are found across western Europe, northern Africa, and Majorca.
The viperine water snake or viperine snake is a semiaquatic, fish-eating natricine water snake. Despite its common names, it is not a member of the subfamily Viperinae. It was given its common names due to exhibiting a dorsal colour pattern that superficially resembles that of sympatric adder species. In comparison to other Natrix species its head is also somewhat wider and more distinct from the neck. Like most members of the Natricinae it possesses a venom gland on each side of the upper jaw that produces a mild venom that may play a role in swallowing or digestion. The gland is not associated with an enlarged specialized tooth and the venom has to be applied by chewing. The species usually does not bite as a means of defense, and the effect of a bite would be harmless to humans.
The Majorcan midwife toad is a frog in the family Alytidae. It is endemic to the Balearic Island of Majorca in the Mediterranean Sea. An example of Lazarus taxon, the species was first described from fossil remains in 1977, but living animals were discovered in 1979.
Arthroleptis carquejai is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is known with certainty only from north-western Angola, but there is also a recent record from Gabon. If this is correct, its distribution might also include intervening areas in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The specific name carquejai honours Bento Carqueja, Portuguese professor, journalist, and philanthropist. The common names Cambondo screeching frog and Carqueja's squeaker have been proposed for it.
Atelopus farci, the forest stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Colombia and only known from its type locality, Granjas del Padre Luna, in Albán, Cundinamarca, on the western flank of the Cordillera Oriental at about 2,100 m (6,900 ft) above sea level. Its natural habitat is cloud forest where it lives in streams.
Barbarophryne is a genus of toads in the family Bufonidae. It is monotypic, containing only the species Brongersma's toad, also known as Tiznit toad. It is found in Algeria and Morocco. It is a small toad, up to about 5 cm (2 in) in snout–to–vent length.
The Berber toad, also known as Mauritanian toad, Moroccan toad, pantherine toad or Moorish toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae, which is found in north-western Africa, with an introduced population in southern Spain.
The Iberian midwife toad or brown midwife toad, in Portuguese sapo-parteiro-ibérico, is a species of frog in the family Alytidae found in Portugal and western Spain. It is typically found in open habitats such as meadows and open oak forests. Habitat loss is one of the threats to its survival.
The Betic midwife toad or Sapo Partero Bético is a species of frog in the family Alytidae. It is endemic to mountainous in south eastern Spain. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, pastureland, ponds, and aquaculture ponds. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The common midwife toad is a species of midwife frog in the family Alytidae. It is found in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. 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.
The Iberian painted frog is a species of frog in the family Alytidae. It is found in Portugal and Spain, where its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, sandy shores, arable land, and grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Corsican painted frog is a species of frogs in the family Alytidae.
Discoglossus scovazzi, the Moroccan painted frog, in French discoglosse peint or discoglosse à ventre blanc, is a species of frog in the family Alytidae. It is found in Morocco and the Spanish North African enclaves Ceuta and Melilla.
Hyperolius hypsiphonus is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southern Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the western Republic of the Congo, and northwestern Angola. Common name cross-banded egg-guarding frog has been proposed for it.
Mantella madagascariensis, common names Malagasy painted mantella, Madagascan mantella, Madagascar golden frog, Malagasy mantella and painted mantella, is a species of frog in the family Mantellidae.
The crowned bullfrog is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in the Sub-Saharan Africa . Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, freshwater springs, arable land, pastureland, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, and ponds.
The Italian stream frog, also called the Italian frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. The species is endemic to Italy and San Marino.
Pelobates varaldii, the Moroccan spadefoot toad, Moroccan spadefoot, or Varaldi's spadefoot toad, is a species of frog in the family Pelobatidae. As currently known, it is endemic to the coastal north-western Morocco, although there is an unconfirmed record from the Spanish territory of Melilla that could possibly represent this species. The specific name varaldii honours Marcel Varaldi who collected amphibians and reptiles in Morocco.
Discoglossus pictus, the Mediterranean painted frog or simply painted frog, is a species of frog in the family Alytidae.
