''Pelobates varaldii'', the Moroccan spadefoot toad, Moroccan spadefoot, or Varaldi's spadefoot toad, is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...

in the family

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 Europe ...

. As currently known, it is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the coastal north-western

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...

, although there is an unconfirmed record from the Spanish territory of

Melilla Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was ...

that could possibly represent this species. The specific name ''varaldii'' honours Marcel Varaldi who collected amphibians and reptiles in Morocco.

Description

Males grow to and females to in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the mos ...

. The overall appearance is stocky. The snout is sharp. The tympanum is present but inconspicuous. No

parotoid gland The parotoid gland (alternatively, paratoid gland) is an external skin gland on the back, neck, and shoulder of toads and some frogs and salamanders. It can secrete a number of milky alkaloid substances (depending on the species) known collective ...

s are present. The dorsum is finely glandular and smooth; colouration is grey-brown with irregular darker markings. There can be red speckles above the eyes. The ventral side of the body is white. The hind feet have enlarged

metatarsal The metatarsal bones, or metatarsus, are a group of five long bones in the foot, located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are numbered from the med ...

tubercles (used in digging) and webbed toes. The male advertisement call is aloud, harsh clucking. The

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found ...

s can reach in length.

Habitat and conservation

''Pelobates varaldii'' occurs in lowland sandy uncultivated soils, sometimes in the vicinity of cork woodlands, at elevations below . It is generally

fossorial A fossorial () animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, meerkats, and mole salamanders, as well as many beetles, wasps, and bees. Prehistoric e ...

. Spawning typically takes place in temporary bodies of standing water (e.g., dayas and rain puddles). The tadpoles are aquatic and feed on plankton and detritus. This species does not occur in modified habitats. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and degradation caused by the conversion of land to livestock pasture as well as the pollution of ponds with livestock droppings. Also the introduced ''

Gambusia holbrooki The eastern mosquitofish (''Gambusia holbrooki'') is a species of freshwater fish, closely related to the western mosquitofish, '' Gambusia affinis''. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. The eastern mosquitofish ...

'' is a threat. This species might be present in the Merja Zerga Biological Reserve.

Description

Habitat and conservation

References

Further reading