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Spea
''Spea'' is a genus of North American amphibian commonly referred to as the western spadefoot toads. They differ greatly from true toads (those of the family Bufonidae) by having eyes with vertical pupils, no parotoid glands, and relatively smooth skin. Their most distinctive feature is a spade-like projection on their hind feet, from which their common name is derived. This projection enables spadefoot toads to dig in loose soils with ease. Its name is from the Ancient Greek ' (, ‘cave, cavern’) Species ''Spea'' species were once classified with their European cousins in the family Pelobatidae, but have since been reclassified to their own family, Scaphiopodidae with other North American species. There are four species in the genus ''Spea'': *Plains spadefoot toad, ''Spea bombifrons'' (Cope, 1863) *Western spadefoot toad, '' Spea hammondii'' ( Baird, 1859) * Great Basin spadefoot toad, ''Spea intermontana'' (Cope, 1863) * New Mexico spadefoot toad, ''Spea multiplicata'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plains Spadefoot Toad
The plains spadefoot toad (''Spea bombifrons'') is a species of American spadefoot toad which ranges from southwestern Canada, throughout the Great Plains of the western United States, and into northern Mexico. Like other species of spadefoot toads, they get their name from a spade-like projection on their hind legs which allows them to dig into sandy soils. Their name, in part, comes from their keratin, keratinized metatarsal, metatarsals, which are wide instead of "sickle shaped". The species name translates as buzzing leaf shaped. This refers to the species' distinguishing features; its buzzing mating call, and its leaf-shaped digging metatarsals. It was first described by Cope in 1863. Description The plains spadefoot toad generally grows from in length, has a round body, with relatively short legs. These toads are usually a tannish to dark brownish color with visible orange spots. They are one of the easiest anurans to recognize in their region because of their unique appea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Mexico Spadefoot Toad
The New Mexico spadefoot toad (''Spea multiplicata'') is a species of American spadefoot toad found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other species of spadefoot toad, they get their name from a distinctive spade-like projections on their hind legs, which enable them to dig in sandy soils. ''Spea multiplicata'' can be identified by its wedge-shaped spade. Some sources also refer to the species as the Mexican spadefoot toad, desert spadefoot toad or southern spadefoot toad. Description The New Mexico spadefoot toad has a length of with a round body and relatively short legs. They weigh between . They are green, to grey, to brown, usually reflecting the soil color of their native habitat, often with black and orange colored speckling on their back, and a white underside. They have large eyes, with vertical pupils. Behavior Like all species of spadefoot toad, the New Mexico spadefoot toad is nocturnal and secretive. If handled, these frogs might emit a peanut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spea Hammondii
''Spea hammondii'', also known as the western spadefoot, western spadefoot toad, Hammond's spadefoot, or Hammond's spadefoot toad, is a species of amphibian in the family Scaphiopodidae. It is found in western California (USA) and northwestern Baja California (Mexico). The specific name ''hammondii'' is in honor of physician and naturalist William Alexander Hammond. Description Spea hammondii is a relatively smooth-skinned species of American spadefoot toad. Its eyes are pale gold with vertical pupils. It has a green or grey dorsum, often with skin tubercles tipped in orange, and has a whitish color on the abdomen. On each hind foot is a wedge-shaped black spade. Adult toads are between long. Juveniles have a similar appearance to adults, but with more distinct spotting. Distribution Populations of ''Spea hammondii'' are localized, but widespread. It ranges throughout the central valley of California and as far south as San Diego and some parts of the desert. The western sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spea
''Spea'' is a genus of North American amphibian commonly referred to as the western spadefoot toads. They differ greatly from true toads (those of the family Bufonidae) by having eyes with vertical pupils, no parotoid glands, and relatively smooth skin. Their most distinctive feature is a spade-like projection on their hind feet, from which their common name is derived. This projection enables spadefoot toads to dig in loose soils with ease. Its name is from the Ancient Greek ' (, ‘cave, cavern’) Species ''Spea'' species were once classified with their European cousins in the family Pelobatidae, but have since been reclassified to their own family, Scaphiopodidae with other North American species. There are four species in the genus ''Spea'': *Plains spadefoot toad, ''Spea bombifrons'' (Cope, 1863) *Western spadefoot toad, '' Spea hammondii'' ( Baird, 1859) * Great Basin spadefoot toad, ''Spea intermontana'' (Cope, 1863) * New Mexico spadefoot toad, ''Spea multiplicata'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Basin Spadefoot
The Great Basin spadefoot (''Spea intermontana'') is an amphibian in the family Scaphiopodidae. It is long and is usually colored gray, olive or brown. Great Basin spadefoot toads have adapted to life in dry habitats. They use the hard, keratinized spade on each foot to dig a burrow, where they spend long periods during cold and dry weather. They are opportunistic hunters and will eat anything they can subdue. While their tadpoles have numerous predators, adults are able to produce skin secretions that deter enemies. Identification The Great Basin spadefoot ranges from long. It is usually gray, olive or brown colored. Gray streaks outline an hourglass-shaped marking on the back. The skin is smooth compared with the bumpy skin of the true toads in the genus ''Bufo''. There is a spade present on the inside of each hind foot; it has sharp edges and is wedge-shaped. A glandular boss is present between the eyes. Eyes are catlike; pupils are vertical in bright light and round at n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scaphiopus Holbrookii
''Scaphiopus holbrookii'', commonly known as the eastern spadefoot, is a species of American spadefoot toad (family Scaphiopodidae) endemic to the eastern United States. It is not considered a true toad, with Bufonidae being the family of "true toads". Taxonomy The epithet, ''holbrookii'', is in honor of John Edwards Holbrook, American herpetologist. A similar species is Hurter's spadefoot toad, which was once considered a subspecies of ''S. holbrookii''. Unlike some other spadefoot toad species, such as ''Spea multiplicata'' (the Mexican or desert spadefoot) or '' Spea bombifrons'' (the plains spadefoot toad), ''Scaphiopus holbrookii'' never naturally develop cannibal tadpoles through phenotypic plasticity. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill believe this is because the eastern spadefoot is most representative of the first spadefoot toads to evolve. Distribution and habitat It is mostly found in the southeastern United States, except for mountainous ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Couch's Spadefoot Toad
Couch's spadefoot toad or Couch's spadefoot (''Scaphiopus couchii)'' is a species of North American spadefoot toad (family Scaphiopodidae). The specific epithet ''couchii'' is in honor of American naturalist Darius Nash Couch, who collected the first specimen while on a personal expedition to northern Mexico to collect plant, mineral, and animal specimens for the Smithsonian Institution. Description Unlike other toads which have horizontal pupils, spadefoot toads have vertical pupils. On the underside of the hind foot is a hard, dark "spade" that gives spadefoot toads their name. These creatures can grow to be 3.5" in length. These "spades" are used by the toads to burrow into the ground to prevent water loss and hide from predators. There are two spadefoot species in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and California. Couch's spadefoot toad (''Scaphiopus couchi'') has a sickle-shaped "spade", whereas the western spadefoot toad ('' Spea hammondii'') has a rounded "spade". Spadef ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amphibian Genera
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excluding the amniotes (tetrapods with an amniotic membrane, such as modern reptiles, birds and mammals). All extant taxon, extant (living) amphibians belong to the monophyletic subclass (biology), subclass Lissamphibia, with three living order (biology), orders: Anura (frogs and toads), Urodela (salamanders), and Gymnophiona (caecilians). Evolved to be mostly semiaquatic, amphibians have adapted to inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living in freshwater ecosystem, freshwater, wetland or terrestrial ecosystems (such as riparian woodland, fossorial and even arboreal habitats). Their biological life cycle, life cycle typically starts out as aquatic animal, aquatic larvae with gills known as tadpoles, but some species have devel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spencer Fullerton Baird
Spencer Fullerton Baird (; February 3, 1823 – August 19, 1887) was an American naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, Herpetology, herpetologist, and museum curator. Baird was the first curator to be named at the Smithsonian Institution. He eventually served as assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian from 1850 to 1878, and as Secretary from 1878 until 1887. He was dedicated to expanding the natural history collections of the Smithsonian which he increased from 6,000 specimens in 1850 to over 2 million by the time of his death. He also served as the U.S. United States Fish Commission, Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries from 1871 to 1887 and published over 1,000 works during his lifetime. Early life and education Spencer Fullerton Baird was born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1823. His mother was a member of the prominent Philadelphia Biddle family; he was a nephew of Speaker of the Pennsylvania Senate Charles B. Penrose and a first cousin, once removed, of U.S. Senator Boies Penr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pelobatidae
The European spadefoot toads are a family of frogs, the Pelobatidae, with only one extant genus ''Pelobates'', containing six species. They are native to Europe, the Mediterranean, northwestern Africa, and western Asia. Description The European spadefoot toad grows up to in length and is often inconspicuously coloured. They have squat bodies with smooth skin and eyes with vertical pupils. They are predominantly fossorial (burrowing) frogs, which dig into sandy soils. Pelobatidae frogs burrow backwards and they spend much of their time in the ground. They prefer open areas with loose soil as opposed to dense compact soil to facilitate the burrowing and have hardened protrusions on their feet to aid in digging, which is the source of the common name. They emerge from the ground during periods of rain and breed in pools, which are usually temporary. All of the species from this family have free-living, aquatic tadpole A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the Lar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hurter's Spadefoot Toad
Hurter's spadefoot toad or Hurter's spadefoot (''Scaphiopus hurterii'') is a species of American spadefoot toad (family Scaphiopodidae) found in the south central United States (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma); its range might extend to the adjacent northern Mexico. It was once classified as a subspecies of the eastern spadefoot toad (''Scaphiopus holbrookii''), but it has been granted its own species status. The Specific name (zoology), specific name ''hurterii'' is in honor of the Swiss-American naturalist and curator of the Academy of Science, St. Louis, St. Louis Academy of Sciences, Julius Hurter. Habitat The species occurs in areas of sandy, gravelly, or soft, light soils in wooded or unwooded terrain and in sandy open woodland and savanna as well as in mesquite scrub. During periods of inactivity it burrows underground. Breeding takes place in temporary pools formed by heavy rains. References Scaphiopus Amphibians described in 1910 Amphibians of the United St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
