Western Spadefoot

Spea hammondii

Western Spadefoots are often numerous where soil conditions are favorable for burrowing. Their deep burrows are moist and cool, even when the temperature at the surface is extremely hot and dry. If you watch a spadefoot in water, it swims with alternating strokes of the hind legs, not with a typical two-legged frog kick. When handled, the Western Spadefoot produces a secretion that smells like peanuts and can irritate the skin.

Look For : A gray, brown, or greenish spadefoot toad with no knob between its eyes. Call is raspy snoring notes.

Length : 1 1/2-2 1/2".

Habitat : River floodplains, grasslands, and dry lands.

Range : Southwestern U.S. and western California.