Common Spadefoot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Photo] Common Spadefoot Toad (Pelobates fuscus). Author: Marek Szczepanek (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pkuczynski/Marek_Szczepanek)

Copyright (C) 2005 Marek Szczepanek Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".

The Common Spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus) is a species of toad of the family Pelobatidae, native to an area extending from central Europe to western Asia. It is also commonly known as the Garlic Toad, the Common Spadefoot Toad and the European Common Spadefoot.

Physical description
The common spadefoot grows to a length of approximately 6.5 cm for males and 8 cm for females. The skin colouration varies depending upon habitat, gender and region, but is usually light-grey to beige-brown on the dorsal surface. The skin is mottled by darker marks that differ between individuals. The belly is white, sometimes with grey mottling. Albino specimens have been observed.

When alarmed, it can exude a noxious secretion which bears a garlic odour; hence the common name: "garlic toad".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Spadefoot

The text in this page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article shown in above URL. It is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.