Midwife toads (Alytes) is a genus of frogs in the Discoglossidae family, 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.

Apoptosis, the programmed cell death, was first observed in the developing of the tadpoles of the midwife toads 1842 by Carl Vogt.

References

• Carl Vogt: Untersuchungen über die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Geburtshelferkröte. (Alytes obstetricians), Solothurn: Jent und Gassman, (1842), pp 130

Painted frogs

Alytes | Geburtshelferkröten | Alytes | Vroedmeesterpad