Checklist of Amphibian Species and Identification Guide
Great Basin Spadefoot, Spea intermontana
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| The Great Basin Spadefoot is a small toad-like frog reaching lengths up to 2 inches. In appearance Spadefoots differ from true toads (genus Bufo) by having vertical cat-like pupils (round in Bufo), no (or indistinct) parotid glands and relatvively smooth skin. Like other Spadefoots, The Great Basin Spadefoot has a well developed, sharp-edged black tubercal or "spade" on the bottom the hind feet, which is used for burrowing into the ground. The base color ranges from olive to gray with light stripes along the sides and there are many small tubercles on the otherwise smooth skin. The ventral surface is cream colored or white without markings. There is also a glandular boss (hump) between the eyes. They breed from May to June, often (but not always) after warm spring and summer rains, in many different types of habitats such as temporary pools, permanent bodies of water, springs and even slow moving waters. |
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