American spadefoot toads
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[Photo] New Mexico spadefoot toad (Spea Multiplicatus). This spadefoot toad was also commonly encountered on the Comanche Grasslands, and it is distinguished from the plains spadefoot by a lack of a boss, usual absence of a wavy reticulate pattern and skin secretions which smell like peanuts. Credits: US Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/herps/comaherp/newmex.htm)

American spadefoot toads, Scaphiopodidae, are a toad family of order Anura, native to southern Canada and USA south to southern Mexico. Scaphiopodidae is a small family, comprising of only seven species.

The American spadefoot toads are of typical shape to most fossorial (or burrowing) frogs. They are round, with short legs and protruding eyes. As suggested by their name, this frog has hard, keratinous protrusion present on their feet, which helps them to dig. Like most fossorial frogs, they will dig backwards into the ground.

The American spadefoot toads are terrestrial when not under ground. They are dully coloured, usually a grey or dull green or brown. This is to aid in camouflage in their arid habitats.

Taxonomy
This family was previously included in the European spadefoot toad family, but has been split into two families. Pelobatidae includes the Pelobates genus, and Scaphiopodidae the rest.

Southern Spadefoot Toads, Scaphiopus (Holbrook, 1836)
- Couch's Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus couchii (Baird, 1854)
- Eastern Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus holbrookii (Harlan, 1835)
- Hurter's Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus hurterii (Strecker, 1910)

Western Spadefoot Toads, Spea (Cope, 1866)
- Plains Spadefoot Toad, Spea bombifrons (Cope, 1863)
- Western Spadefoot Toad, Spea hammondii (Baird, 1859)
- Great Basin Spadefoot Toad, Spea intermontana (Cope, 1863)
- Mexican Spadefoot Toad, Spea multiplicata (Cope, 1863)

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

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