Common Spadefoot
(Pelobates fuscus)
Facts
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IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)
Facts about this animal
With a head-body length of 60-70 mm the Common Spadefoot is a rather small toad. Males can be identified by an oval gland positioned at the top of the forelimbs, and they are a bit smaller than females.
Upperparts are greyish-yellow to brown, with light or dark brown spots. Underparts a white or light grey. It has a rather big head with protuberant eyes and a helm-like bump along the middle of the head. The pupils a uprightly slit-shaped by day and nearly round by night. Another conspicuous characteristic of this species is an up to 6 mm long heel bump on the hind legs.
Did you know?
that, when disturbed, this toad can emit a garlicky secretion, giving them also the name "Garlic toad"?
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | AMPHIBIA |
| Order | ANURA |
| Suborder | NEOBATRACHIA |
| Family | PELOBATIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Pelobates fuscus |
| Name (English) | Common Spadefoot |
| Name (French) | Pélobate brun |
| Name (German) | Knoblauchkröte |
| Name (Spanish) | Sapo de espuelas |
| Local names | Swedish: lökgroda Italien: Pelobate fosco |
| CITES Status | Not listed |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
WAZA Projects
Photo Copyright by
© Marek Szczepanek
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | In Europe from northern Italy, eastern France, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark westward to western Siberia and northwestern Kazakhstan. |
| Habitat | Many habitat types, but mostly present in open areas and areas with loose soil where they can digg themselves in (different forests and their edges, groves, steppes, meadows, fields, parks and gardens, sand dunes). |
| Wild population | Unknown, but rare or declining in some European countries and extinct in Switzerland. |
| Zoo population | 16 reported to ISIS (2007), but this species is sometimes keep as pet by private owners. |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 45 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
© 2003 Pierre-Yves Vaucher
Why do zoos keep this animal
This species is only rarely kept by zoos and aquariums, education. i.e. familiarising people with a native amphibian species seldom seen in the wild being one reason for keeping them.
While globally listed in the "least concern" category by IUCN, this species is treatened in part of its range and therefore has been selected as the "Toad of the Year 2007" by DGHT.