Common Spadefoot toad, Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768)
History and origin
The Common Spadefoot toad was first described by Laurenti in 1768, the scientific name of this species is Pelobates fuscus. Pelobates in Greek is composed of two words, the first meaning 'mud' and the second meaning to 'walk' this name is more appropriate to the Parsley frog (Pelodytes sp.). Fuscus is Latin and means 'brown'.
Characteristics
This species is characterised by their reddish dots along the flanks, this is in some cases less evident.
Description
=Size=
- Eggs: The eggs are about 3 to 4 mm in diameter, laid in a cord and this is about 20 mm thick and up to 1 m long.
- Tadpoles: The tadpoles measure 5 mm long when they hatch, growing up to 80/100 mm long (max. 220 mm long!).
- Juveniles: The juveniles measure 20 to 40 mm long when they exit the water.
- Adults: Adults measure up to 80 mm long max. (males ave.: 65 mm ; females ave.: 80 mm).
=Morphology=
- Eggs: The eggs are laid in long cordons. There are up to 3500 eggs in the cord and they are arranged in an unordered fashion inside the cord.
- Tadpoles: They are very large, their eyes are very distant from one another. they have a large tail finishing in a point.
- Adults: They are a very large bulky toad with huge limbs, large head and eyes. Their skin is quite smooth, although often there are minor warts, but these are discrete. Their pupils are vertical. On the back of the lower hind legs there is a nail-like formation often referred to as a blade or spade (Spadefoot toads, this is where they get their name from). they have no paratoid glands, no vocal sac. their feet have very complete webbing.
=Patterns & colours=
- Eggs: They are small black embryos inside a transparent cordon.
- Tadpole: They can be gray, greenish, brownish, yellowish... Their belly is whitish. Their tail is light in colour.
- Adult: The pattern is very variable, either the specimen is more 'lined' having light lines running irregularly down the back and flanks, otherwise the specimen is blotched or spotted, in this case there maybe many dark irregularly shaped blotches and dots along the back and flanks. The coloration is also quite variable, usually the blotches along the body are dark (dark brown, gray) and the interval between blotches is often very light (yellowish, creamy, olive, light brown, greenish). the flanks are often speckled with small red freckles, this is characteristic of the species. Their eyes are usually golden. Their belly is whitish yellow. Very young juveniles may be quite uniform as the pattern and colour develops with time. The spade on the hind legs is light in colour, often creamy.
Geographical range Found throughout most of eastern Europe and central Europe, absent from the Balkan peninsula except for small populations in Bulgaria and Romania, northern limits are Latvia and eastwards. In western Europe this species is only found in northern Italy in many isolated populations, in Alsace (north eastern France) and a small population in central France. Found in Denmark, extreme southern Sweden, Germany, parts of eastern Austria...
Subspecies
- fuscus - Found over all of the range except Italy.
- insubricus - Found in Italy.
Sexual differences
Females are larger. Males have during the breeding season an oval gland on their front legs. Males tend to be more yellowish whereas females are more greyish.
Seasonal variations
Males oval gland varies in size being almost unnoticeable outside of the breeding season. During the aquatic phase, the coloration becomes darker and the patterns are less visible.
Diet
They feed mainly on moths, spiders and other insects. The tadpoles eat Hyla tadpoles sometimes.
Defensive habits
They will often stand their ground and puff themselves in front of an enemy, sometimes even biting They may emit a high toned distress call (listen above).
Reproduction
A short breeding season, lasting only a few weeks, starting in mid-March until April. This happens in and around pools, ponds and lakes. As soon as the end of a fine day in spring comes to an end, the Common Spadefoot slowly gains the surface from its wintry hideout. Once at the entry of their burrow, with their nose in the air, they listen out for the noise of their own kind, once this has been heard, they will slowly get closer to one another until they meet. This voice is very low in frequency. The males usually find a water hole, sing and wait for a female to appear. Once she shows up, the female will accept the first male. When the male mounts the female, she moves in a panicked fashion over to a vegetated area in the water, when the eggs start to appear the male releases his sperm and fertilizes the eggs. Once the eggs coming out of the female reaches around 10 cm long, the female attaches the eggs to the vegetation. After the female has released all her eggs, they separate and slowly swim over to the water edge. They then wait near the water hole, tired until the next night when they find their way back to their burrow.
Sexual maturity, life span
The average life span for Pelobates fuscus is about 10 years, they reach their sexual maturity in their second year.
Habits
They are active at night, although they only come out when the wind drops, and the humidity level rises, otherwise these toads come out during the day only in the breeding season, they may however migrate to their breeding area during the night sometimes traveling at temperatures close to 0 C. The young are more common around water, whereas the adults can be found up to a kilometres away from it. They can dig a hole up to 60 cm deep.
Call
A repeated 'c'lock-c'lock-c'lock' under the water. Females may also call, a responsive grunting or making a more rasping 'tock-tock-tock'. If threatened they may produce a high pitch scream, sounds (p)www.oreilleverte.com:
Habitat
They have a preference to open, often sandy or lose soiled ground (where they can dig easier). Also found in pine woods, in cultivated land, potatoes growths, in gardens also may live in clayish ground.
Predators
Their biggest predators are birds especially owls and ducks, owls often eat adults as they are active at night where as the ducks feed on tadpoles.
Found throughout most of eastern Europe and central Europe, absent from the Balkan peninsula except for small populations in Bulgaria and Romania, northern limits are Latvia and eastwards. In western Europe this species is only found in northern Italy in many isolated populations, in Alsace (north eastern France) and a small population in central France. Found in Denmark, extreme southern Sweden, Germany, parts of eastern Austria... 
