Great Basin Spadefoot Toad (Spea intermontana)

Common Name: Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Spea intermontana
Family: Scaphiopodidae – American Spadefoot Toad Family
Locations: Canada and the United States
US Locations: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
Size: 2.5 inches (6.35 cm)

The Great Basin Spadefoot Toad lives in the western United States and southwestern Canada. They live primarily in arid, desert regions where rain is hard to come by. However, they have adaptations to overcome these hostiles environments. The Great Basin Spadefoot Toads are explosive breeders. Once the spring rain falls, the male toads migrate to ponds created by the rain. There, they will start calling to attract a female toad. Once the female toad arrives at the pond, the male toad will grasp her from behind in the amplexus position. Then, the female toad will lay her eggs while the male toad fertilizes them. Then both parents leave, providing no parental care. After mating, the eggs hatch in 2-4 days. These tadpoles can be herbivorous or carnivorous, depending on the locality. The tadpoles take over a month to fully undergo metamorphosis.

Like all Spadefoot Toads, the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad is great at burrowing. They have powerful hind legs that have keratonized sheaths on their rear feet. This helps them to burrow deep in the ground to protect themselves from their arid environment. The toad can live up to 11 years.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assess the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad as Least Concern for Extinction. They have a wide range and are thought to be numerous throughout it. There are currently no major threats to the species.