Malcolm's Ethiopian toad or the Ethiopian mountain toad (Altiphrynoides malcolmi) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia. Its natural habitats are Schefflera-Hagenia-Hypericum forests and Afro-alpine moorland, and the transition zone in between. It is threatened by habitat loss and is listed by the IUCN as being an "endangered species". Description Malcolm's Ethiopian toad is a small robust species. The females reach a snout-to-vent length of and males reach in length. The head is broad and the upper jaw is longer than the lower one. The paratoid gland is some way behind the eye and is short and narrow. The colour of the upper parts is quite variable with different individuals being greenish-grey, grey, greyish-brown or black. There are dark spots arranged along three longitudinal bands of paler colour, pink, dull red or green. The flanks are grey or greyish-black and may be delineated by a thin white line. The underparts are cream or dull white with darker spots and blotches. Distribution Malcolm's Ethiopian toad is endemic to the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia where it is found at elevations of between above sea level. At lower altitudes it is found in grassy meadows besides streams but higher up on the mountain plateau it is present in forests composed of Schefflera, Hagenia and Hypericum and also on afromontane moorlands. Biology Malcolm's Ethiopian toad has what is believed to be a unique pattern of development. Males advertise their presence with calls that are only audible within a few meters. Both males and females wander through wet grasses near streams and pools until they meet, after which the male calls more intensely. Other males congregate at the site and there is great competition to mate with the female. Fertilization is internal and takes place after the successful couple engage in face-to-face amplexus. The female produces about twenty large eggs enclosed in a mucus layer while still in amplexus. These are deposited in the vegetation or occasionally under logs or in leaf litter. The female then departs the scene but the males remain and attract more females by their calling. These lay their eggs at the same site and the communal egg mass may originate from as many as twenty females. The males eventually disperse when no more females arrive. There is no more parental involvement and the eggs develop into non-feeding tadpoles which rely on