The Majorcan midwife toad (''Alytes muletensis'') (also Mallorcan midwife toad or ferreret in
Balearic Catalan and
Spanish
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**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
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) is a
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...
in the family
Alytidae (formerly Discoglossidae). It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to the
Balearic Island of
Majorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...
in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
. An example of
Lazarus taxon
In paleontology, a Lazarus taxon (plural ''taxa'') is a taxon that disappears for one or more periods from the fossil record, only to appear again later. Likewise in conservation biology and ecology, it can refer to species or populations tha ...
, the species was first described from fossil remains in 1977, but living animals were discovered in 1979.
The species, considered "vulnerable" by the
IUCN, is currently restricted to isolated mountain rivers in the island's
Serra de Tramuntana and has an estimated population of 500 breeding pairs in the wild. It does exist and reproduce easily in captivity, however. The Majorcan midwife toad is thought to have disappeared from most of the island as a result of the
introduction
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General use
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* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and ...
of competitors and predators from the mainland in ancient times. Reintroduction of the species in additional areas has taken place since 1988, with many new breeding populations now well established.
Characteristics
Like all
midwife toads, the male of the species always carries the developing
eggs during the months of May and June. Generally the head and legs are large in comparison to the rest of the body. Unusually, the female of the species competes for the male, even grappling against other individuals in order to secure a
mate. Both male and female frogs use a series of noises in order to attract a mate during
courtship
Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private ...
. Comparatively the female is larger than the male (Male: 34.7 mm, Female: 38 mm).
Distribution
The species is endemic to Majorca, and is found only in the mountainous regions and
gorges of the
Serra de Tramuntana. In this area, the species inhabits streams in limestone caverns, where they hide under boulders and stones.
Status
The Majorcan midwife toad was first discovered in 1977 and was described as ''Baleaphryne muletensis.'' Only later the toad was accounted as a midwife toad. This was due to the fact that the species was thought extinct and was described from the fossil record. Later the species was 'rediscovered' in 1979 when froglets and young frogs were discovered. Currently the species is protected as a Majorcan endemic species, and breeding programs have been started to prevent the extinction of this species. The number of wild animals is estimated at around 300 to 700 breeding pairs. It was previously housed and bred at the
Durrell Wildlife Park, with the goal of releasing into the wild, which was successful.
References
External links
*Amphibia Web http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?query_src=aw_maps_geo-euro&where-genus=Alytes&where-species=muletensis&rel-genus=equals&rel-species=equals (Accessed August 21, 2012)
*Encyclopedia of Life http://eol.org/pages/1039071/details (Accessed August 21, 2012)
*Arkive https://web.archive.org/web/20120825083227/http://www.arkive.org/mallorcan-midwife-toad/alytes-muletensis/ (Accessed August 21, 2012)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q61523
Alytes
Endemic fauna of the Balearic Islands
Fauna of Mallorca
Amphibians of Europe
Amphibians described in 1977