Pony Express Amphibian & Reptile Society
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PLAINS SPADEFOOT TOAD
Spea bombifrons

These frog-like toads are generally tan or brown with orange spots. There may be dorsal stripes visible on some specimens. They get their name from a spade-like projection on their hindlegs used for digging in sandy soils.

Length: 1.5-2.5 inches


These frogs are fossorial, and emerge from underground after heavy rainfall, often in large numbers. Mating, egg laying, and development are generally complete within 2 or 3 weeks, before the temporary water holes they use dry up.
They occur in extreme Northwest Missouri and along the Missouri River to the St. Louis area.

All frogs absorb water through their skin to some degree, but fossorial frogs are able to absorb trace amounts of moisture available to them in soil and surrounding area.
Picture
Picture
Photo by Peter Paplanus
Photo by Katie Jacobs


Fun Facts: Toads are found on every Continent except Antarctica.
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