Common Midwife Toad

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to western Europe, including Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and introduced populations in Great Britain. It is a terrestrial species inhabiting damp quarries, dry stone walls, sandy banks, and hilly woodlands.

Taxonomy and Genetics: A small, stocky toad growing to 4–5 cm in length. It features a highly warted, grayish-brown skin, and large, prominent eyes with vertical slit pupils. Males are slightly smaller and carry egg clutches between their hind legs during the breeding season.

Behavior and Habits: Primarily nocturnal and secretive, spending the day buried in soil or sheltering under logs and stones. It is a terrestrial walker and poor jumper. The male carries the eggs on land, keeping them damp, and releases the tadpoles into a water source when ready to hatch.

Morphology: Sexual dimorphism is visible during the breeding season: males are slightly smaller and are easily distinguished by carrying strings of yellow eggs wrapped around their hind legs.

Terrarium Setup: Require a spacious terrestrial terrarium of at least 60x45x30 cm. Provide a deep, diggable substrate (10–15 cm) of soil mixed with sand. Include numerous flat stones, dry stone wall structures, and cork bark shelters for burrowing. A very shallow water dish is sufficient.

Lighting and Heating: Require cool, temperate conditions. Maintain daytime temperatures of 18–22°C. They are highly sensitive to heat, and temperatures above 26°C can be fatal. A winter brumation at 4–8°C for 2–3 months is necessary for breeding. Low-level UVB (5%) is recommended.

Humidity and Hydration: Maintain moderate to high humidity of 60–80% with regular evening misting. Substrate must remain damp but not waterlogged to prevent bacterial infections. Provide excellent ventilation. Use dechlorinated water.

Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous with relatively small mouths. Feed small live insects such as micro-crickets, small earthworms, and fruit flies. Dust prey with calcium and vitamin D3 supplements regularly to ensure proper bone development.

Compatibility: Peaceful and highly gregarious. They can be safely housed in small groups or colonies. Do not house them with larger predatory species. Keep them in single-species setups.

Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to bacterial skin infections (Red Leg syndrome) under poor hygiene or stagnant conditions. Do not handle them with bare hands; their skin secretions are toxic and contain mild skin irritants. Maintain clean substrate.