Common Name: Moroccan Spadefoot Toad, Varaldi’s Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Pelobates varaldii
Family: Pelobatidae – European Spadefoot family
Location: Morocco
Size: 1.7 – 2.5 inches (43 – 64 mm)
Like most toads, the Moroccan Spadefoot Toad is a fossorial species, spending most of their time burrowed underground. They are most active at night, making them nocturnal. The Spadefoot Toad is not a True Toad, a member of the family Bufonidae. They share similar traits such as being fossorial and having dry skin. However, True Toads have a enlarged parotid gland behind their eye, which Spadefoot toads lack.
The female toads lay their eggs in temporary ponds. The eggs hatch after a couple weeks. Then, the tadpoles complete their metamorphosis in May or June.
The toad’s scientific name is named after Marcel Varaldi, who collected reptiles and amphibians in Morocco.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Moroccan Spadefoot Toad as Endangered with Extinction. The toad lives in a small, fragmented area in northwest Morocco. Most of their habitat has been lost to agriculture and urban expansion.