Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
The plains spadefoot toad is the most easily recognized toad in North Dakota. Its skin is smooth like that of a frog, and it has a distinct vertical pupil like that of a cat. Its color varies from a light cream, to gray or brown.
Spadefoot toads inhabit the dry grasslands of western North Dakota which have sandy or loose soil. Their back feet have a digging spur (spade) which they use to burrow into the soil. They may burrow up to two feet underground until they hit a layer of moist soil.
Spadefoots are known as explosive breeders. During the warm summer months they emerge in the evening after a heavy rain to quickly breed in shallow pools. By morning the adults are back underground awaiting the next heavy rain.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/herps/amrepnd/species/scapbomb.htm
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Page Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2013 05:03:28 EST
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