Midwife Toads and Painted Frogs: Discoglossidae

Besides looking different, midwife toads and painted frogs spend their time in different habitats. The painted frogs stay nearer—and often in—the water and are particularly fond of rocky-bottomed, swift-flowing streams, although some live very well in small ponds that may dry up during part of the year. Many will only go into freshwater areas, but some, such as the Tyrrhenian painted frogs, survive in somewhat salty water. When the painted frogs hop onto land, they stay along the shoreline or in areas where the ground is at least somewhat moist. The midwife toads prefer drier areas, like forests and meadows, but they never stray too far from a stream or pond. Both the midwife toads and the painted frogs stay out of sight during the day by crawling under rocks and logs or hiding in burrows that they dig.