nounPlural spadefootsˈspeɪdfʊt
A plump, short-legged burrowing toad with a prominent sharp-edged tubercle on the hind feet, native to North America and Europe.
Family Pelobatidae: several genera, including Scaphiophus (of America) and Pelobates (of Europe), and several species, in particular P. fuscus
Example sentencesExamples
- Tadpoles of both Couch's spadefoot toad and the Western spadefoot toad accelerate metamorphosis in response to pond drying.
- The toad doesn't really need us to make him a home, both the spadefoot and Colorado river toad can excavate burrows almost three feet deep.
- Female spadefoots have ample opportunity to choose mates and can use male call features to assess species identity and quality of potential mates.
- Of all the creatures on the Carrizo, the endurance champion of the underworld is the spadefoot toad.
- However, Eastern spadefoot toads, which have a very short developmental period prior to metamorphosis, did not show any increase in corticosterone over an hour of confinement.