The Nimba Toad Is The Only Truly Viviparous Anuran In The World, Meaning It Gives Birth To Live Young

When we think of amphibians like frogs and toads, we often imagine spawn. Gloopy little eggs spilling out into ponds. It’s a great glimpse into the metamorphosis of anurans, allowing us to see them grow from egg to tadpole , to froglet, or toadlet. There is, however, one species that keeps things a little more intimate. You see, there exists one known species of toad that actually gives birth to live, fully developed young. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Yeah, we found it strange, too. This is the curious life cycle of the Western Nimba toad ( Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis) . It lives in the Mount Nimba region of West Africa, spanning Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and Liberia.

It’s one-of-a-kind, being the only known a