Great Basin Spadefoot

About the Great Basin Spadefoot

The Great Basin spadefoot (Spea intermontana) is an amphibian in the family Scaphiopodidae. It is 3.8 to 6.3 centimetres (1.5 to 2.5 in) long and is usually colored gray, olive or brown. Great Basin spadefoot toads have adapted to life in dry habitats. They use the hard, keratinized spade on each foot to dig a burrow, where they spend long periods during cold and dry weather. They are opportunistic hunters and will eat anything they can subdue. While their tadpoles have numerous predators, adults are able to produce skin secretions that deter enemies.

The Great Basin spadefoot ranges from 3.8 to 6.3 centimetres (1.5 to 2.5 in) long. It is usually gray, olive or brown colored. Gray streaks outline an hourglass-shaped marking on the back. The skin is smooth compared with the bumpy skin of the true toads in the genus Bufo. There is a spade present on the inside of each hind foot; it has sharp edges and is wedge-shaped. A glandular boss is present between the eyes. Eyes are catlike; pupils are vertical in bright light and round at night. Dark brown spots are present on each upper eyelid.

The natural habitats of the Great Basin spadefoot... Wikipedia →