Individual identification and sexual dimorphism in the endangered Balearic Midwife Toad, Alytes muletensis (Sanchíz and Adrover, 1981)

Abstract

The Majorcan Midwife Toad (Alytes muletensis) is and endemic and threatened species of the island of Mallorca which has been the subject of a large number of studies. However, there is a lack of information about the adult fraction of wild populations. Here we show the first step to increase the knowledge of adult Majorcan midwife toads, how to recognize them individually and how to distinguish between males and females. We tested with satisfactory results a photoidentification method that can be used to identify adults individually. In order to sex individuals in the wild we carry out a morphological study with fourteen variables building a discriminant function which allow us to sex all captured adults. © 2009 Brill Academic Publishers.