midwife toad

1 9.9

A small European toad whose male carries eggs on his back until they hatch

noun

: sapo partero

In the summer, you can often see a midwife toad helping its young by protecting them until they are ready to swim away.

Examples

The unique behavior of the midwife toad makes it one of the most interesting amphibians in Europe.
Called a "midwife toad" because the male delivers the offspring from eggs laid by the female on its back, this natural oddity could have been a playful allusion to Ruysch's own position as supervisor of the city midwives.

Academic text (1996)
The male midwife toad carries fertilized eggs on its back until they hatch.

Synonyms

Alytes

vsmidwife toad

Specialized

9.9

A toad whose male carries eggs on his back legs until they hatch

is the common name for the same group rather than the scientific genus

Alytes obstetricans

vsmidwife toad

9.9

A small European toad whose male carries fertilized eggs wrapped around his back legs until they hatch

is the broader group name for such toads not only this species

obstetrical toad

vsmidwife toad

9.9

A small European animal whose male carries fertilized eggs around his hind legs until they hatch

is the general name for the whole genus rather than this specific species

Surface Forms

midwife toad singular

midwife toads plural

Morphology

midwife + toad

The compound is a transparent descriptive name: combining 'midwife' (one who assists birth) with 'toad' signals a toad associated with caring for or carrying offspring, which matches the species' behavior. This is not idiomatic or metaphorical but a straightforward noun-noun composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably infer the meaning.

Etymology

The name midwife toad comes from the male toad carrying strings of eggs wrapped around his legs until they hatch. People compared him to a midwife who 'helps with babies', so the name explains the toad's caring role.