Amphibians
Great Basin Spadefoot
Spea intermontana · also called Great Basin spadefoots
While many spadefoot toads specialise in surviving heat and drought, the Great Basin spadefoot has to manage cold as well, burrowing deep enough into the high desert soil of the interior American West to avoid freezing through winters most of its warmer-climate relatives never have to face.
Overview
The Great Basin spadefoot, Spea intermontana, is a burrowing toad native to the high desert basins of the interior western United States. It tolerates colder, higher-elevation conditions than several related spadefoot species.
Built for both drought and frost
Where most spadefoot toads deal mainly with heat and unpredictable rain, the Great Basin spadefoot’s high-elevation range demands an additional adaptation, burrowing deep enough to sit out a genuinely cold winter before emerging to breed once conditions finally turn favourable.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable high desert habitat throughout the interior Great Basin region.
Great Basin Spadefoot: common questions
Why does the Great Basin spadefoot live at higher elevations than other spadefoot species?
The Great Basin spadefoot occupies the cooler, higher-elevation interior basins of the western United States, a range that requires tolerance of colder winter conditions than many other spadefoot species typically face, an adaptation reflected in the species' ability to burrow deep enough underground to avoid freezing temperatures during the cold season.
How does the Great Basin spadefoot survive winter?
A Great Basin spadefoot burrows deep enough into the soil to avoid freezing temperatures typical of its high-elevation range, remaining dormant underground for an extended portion of the year until conditions become suitable again for the species to emerge and breed.
Does the Great Basin spadefoot breed after rain or after snowmelt?
A Great Basin spadefoot can breed in temporary pools formed either by spring snowmelt or by heavy summer rainfall, depending on local conditions in a given year, giving the species some flexibility in timing its relatively brief breeding period around whichever seasonal water source becomes available first.
How is the Great Basin spadefoot different from the western spadefoot?
The Great Basin spadefoot and western spadefoot are separate species within the same genus, but the Great Basin spadefoot generally occupies a cooler, higher-elevation range across the interior Great Basin region, while the western spadefoot is more closely associated with California's lower-elevation grassland and coastal habitats.