Endemic to the southeastern Iberian Peninsula, it is found mainly in Andalusia, making it a true Spanish treasure. At first glance, it may look like an ordinary frog, but closer inspection reveals a creature full of character: its back is decorated with a mix of browns, greens, and sometimes reddish tones, often splashed with irregular spots or streaks that give it the “painted” look behind its name. Each individual’s pattern is slightly different, as though nature itself had hand-painted them.

This frog is relatively small, with a compact body, short limbs, and a slightly pointed snout. Its skin is smooth but tough-looking, well-suited for life in its Mediterranean habitat of streams, ponds, and temporary pools. Unlike many frogs that spend most of their lives in or near water, the Spanish painted frog is quite adaptable, living in both aquatic and terrestrial environments depending on the season. In the hot, dry summers of Andalusia, it often shelters under rocks or burrows into damp soil to avoid desiccation, reemerging in autumn and winter rains to breed.

One of the most fascinating things about the Spanish painted frog is its ancient evolutionary lineage. It belongs to the family Alytidae, the same group as the midwife toads, and is part of a genus (Discoglossus) that has been around for millions of years. Its primitive skeletal features earned the group the nickname “disc-tongued frogs”, because their tongues are less flexible than those of more “modern” frogs. This makes the Spanish painted frog a living reminder of early frog evolution, a species that has changed little while others diversified around it.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Portugal

2023

Spain

2023