WESTERN SPADEFOOT TOAD, TRANSVERSE RANGES, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

While doing geologic field work in the Transverse Ranges, just north of the San Fernando Valley in southern California, one day a few years ago, I came across something I had never encountered before or since. I was way off the “beaten track,” in a “wild” area, when I saw three toads sitting on a rock, next to a small stream–in a shady area. This particular area is not easily accessible to hikers, and that is undoubtedly the reason these toads were present. It is common knowledge that unspoiled “wild areas”) are becoming fewer and fewer these days (and sightings are rare–because of human encroachment. Furthermore, this toads is now considered to be an endangered species in this area, and I was fortunate to be able to see them. In addition, it was rare event because, I spotted them during the day, even though they are primarily nocturnal.

Phylum Vertebrata

Class Amphibia

Family Pelobatidae

Genus Spea [spea is Greek, meaning warty skin]

Species hammondii

Spea hammondii is a small (1.5 to 2.5 inches long) stout-bodied toad with short legs and warty skin. Their eyes are wide-set, with no bone buildup (boss) in between them. Their adult body often has four irregular light stripes and black blotches on their back. Their backs can be all brown or all gray. Their abdomens are white. A juvenile specimen I saw [illustrated here] was all green.

Three species of Spea are found in California: hammondii has the greatest geographic range as it occurs throughout California, as well as in northwest Baja California, Mexico. Another species occurs only in northeastern California (east of the Sierra Mountains) and another species occurs only in southeastern California.

                                          A

                                           B

A western spadefoot toad [A and B, two views of adults, both about 2 inches long; and C, view of a juvenile, about ¾ of an inch long] alongside a small creek, in the Transverse Ranges just north of San Fernando Valley, northern Los Angeles County, southern California. I did not measure exact dimensions because I did not want to disturb the animals in any way.