Couch's Spadefoot
Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
- Copyright
- ©2015
- Image Size
- 6000x4000 / 9.6MB
- Keywords
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Amphibia, Animalia, Anura, Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Chihuahuan Desert, Chordata, Couch's spadefoot, Couch's spadefoot toad, Mesobatrachia, S. couchii, Scaphiopodidae, Scaphiopus, Scaphiopus couchii, Small, Texas, amphibian, animal, aquatic, beautiful, close, close-up, closeup, color, colorful, colourful, common, creature, desert, fauna, freshwater, frog, green, habitat, natural, nature, night, nocturnal, pond, ponds, southwest, spadefoot, species, spring, toad, vertebrate, vibrant, watching, water, wet, wild, wildlife, Chiricahua, Chiricahua Desert, Chiricahuan, desert, Big Bend National Park, National Park, NP, BBNP, Chiricahuan Desert
- Contained in galleries
- Spadefoots
