Great Basin Spadefoot

Great Basin Spadefoot

Scientific Name – Spea intermontana

Classification – Scaphiopodidae

Baby Name – Tadpole

Collective Noun – Knot, lump, nest, or knob

Average Length – 3.8 to 6.3 cm

Life Expectancy – 11 to 13 years

Breeding Season – April through July

Incubation Period – 2 to 4 days

Metamorphosis Period – 1 to 2 months

Special Features – Possess smooth skin; wedge-shaped spade with sharp edges on the inside of each hind foot; A glandular boss appears between the eyes; color ranges from gray, olive or brown

Family Unit – Solitary with the exception of breeding period

Geographical Distribution – United States and Canada

World Population – Stable

Conservation Status – Least Concern

Natural Habitat – Spruce-fir forests, semidesert shrubland, temperate grasslands, sagebrush flats, deserts

Diet – Ants, beetles, other different types of arthropods

Predators – Rattlesnakes, coyotes, and owls