Couch's Spadefoot
Scaphiopus couchii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAmphibia (Amphibians)
- OrderAnura (Frogs and Toads)
- FamilyScaphiopodidae (North American Spadefoots)
- GenusScaphiopus (Southern Spadefoots)
- SpeciesScaphiopus couchii (Couch's Spadefoot)
About the Couch's Spadefoot
Couch's spadefoot toad or Couch's spadefoot (Scaphiopus couchii) is a species of North American spadefoot toad (family Scaphiopodidae). The specific epithet couchii is in honor of American naturalist Darius Nash Couch, who collected the first specimen while on a personal expedition to northern Mexico to collect plant, mineral, and animal specimens for the Smithsonian Institution.
Unlike other toads which have horizontal pupils, spadefoot toads have vertical pupils. On the underside of the hind foot is a hard, dark "spade" that gives spadefoot toads their name. The length of this spadefoot ranges from 5.5 to 9 cm (2.2 to 3.5 in), and body color being yellow to yellow-green, with darker mottling. These "spades" are used by the toads to burrow into the ground to prevent water loss and hide from predators. There are two spadefoot species in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and California. Couch's spadefoot toad (Scaphiopus couchi) has a sickle-shaped "spade", whereas the western spadefoot toad (Spea hammondii) has a rounded "spade". Contrary to the name, spadefoots are not true toads
Couch's spadefoot is native to the United States southwest of southeastern... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Mexican Spadefoot
Spea multiplicata
Red-spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus
Colorado River Toad
Incilius alvarius
Canyon Tree Frog
Dryophytes arenicolor
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Lowland Leopard Frog
Lithobates yavapaiensis
Great Plains Toad
Anaxyrus cognatus
Woodhouse's Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
African Clawed Frog
Xenopus laevis
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Couch's Spadefoot in Saguaro National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Couch's Spadefoot sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 430 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Couch's Spadefoot in Saguaro National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Couch's Spadefoot in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.