The European spadefoot toads are a
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
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 Larva, larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully Aquatic animal, aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial animal, ...
s. The eggs are laid in temporary ponds that may quickly evaporate, so the tadpole stage is unusually brief, with rapid development to the adult form in as little as two weeks. To further speed their growth, some of the tadpoles are cannibalistic, eating their brood-mates to increase their supply of protein.
Taxonomy
The seven species of American spadefoot toads (genera ''Scaphiopus
''Scaphiopus'' is a genus of North American amphibian commonly referred to as the North American spadefoots, southern spadefoots, or eastern spadefoot toads. They differ greatly from true toads (those of the family Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad
Thi ...
'' and '' Spea'') were previously also included in the family Pelobatidae, but are now generally regarded as the separate family Scaphiopodidae.
Family Pelobatidae
* Genus †'' Elkobatrachus''
** †''Elkobatrachus brocki''
* Genus †'' Liaobatrachus''
* Genus †'' Eopelobates''
** †'' Eopelobates anthracinus''
** †'' Eopelobates bayeri''
** †'' Eopelobates hinschei''
** †''Eopelobates wagneri
''Eopelobates'' is an extinct genus of frogs in the family Pelobatidae. Closely related to the living European spadefoot toad, it is known from the Eocene of western North America, and the Eocene–Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocen ...
''
* Genus '' Pelobates''
** '' Pelobates balcanicus''
** Western spadefoot toad (''Pelobates cultripes'')
** Common spadefoot (''Pelobates fuscus'')
** Pelobates syriacus (''Pelobates syriacus'')
** Moroccan spadefoot toad (''Pelobates varaldii'')
** Pallas' Spadefoot Toad (''Pelobates vespertinus'')
Fossils
The earliest fossil genus of pelobatids, '' Elkobatrachus'', was described in 2006.[Foster, J. (2007). "Appendix." ''Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World''. Indiana University Press. pp. 327-329.]
The Oligocene site of Enspel in Germany preserves evidence of pelobatid tadpoles feeding on pollen.
Notes
References
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External links
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Pelobates
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Extant Late Jurassic first appearances
Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte
Fauna of the Palearctic realm