Pelobates cultripes
Encyclopedia
Pelobates cultripes, sometimes called the Western Spadefoot, is a toad species in the family Pelobatidae
. It is found in parts of France, Spain, and Portugal.
. It has a black spade on the hind foot, hence its name. The edged callus internus of the hind foot is converted to allow digging. The upperside is greyish-yellowish with dark brown or greenish blotches and spots. It grows up to 11 cm and is larger and greener than the Common Spadefoot
. The tadpoles are larger than those of most other toad species.
It breeds often in temporary water that is sometimes brackish. During mating season males appear first on wet nights at breeding sites, the females arrive later. The length of the breeding period depends on the rainfall and may last a month or only few days. During this time Pelobates cultripes may be partly diurnal. Males grab the females at the loins. Females produce bands of up to 7000 eggs which are up to 100 cm long. They lay them among vegetation or on the pond
bottom. The eggs
hatch after two weeks and the tadpoles
take around 4 to 6 months to develop. The drying up of their pond is, after predation, the most common cause of their death. Young toads are 2 to 3.5 cm long after metamorphosis
and take 3 years to reach maturity. This toad may live up to 15 years.
Males produce a deep and rapid 'co-co-co' under water which sound like a clucking hen
. Females call occasionally too.
, Portugal
and parts of France
. Its range does not overlap with the Common Spadefoot
. It occurs in open areas usually with soft or sandy oils and can be found at elevations up to 1,800 meters.
Pelobatidae
The European spadefoot toads are a family of frogs, the Pelobatidae, with only one extant genus Pelobates, containing four species. They are native to Europe, the Mediterranean, northwestern Africa and western Asia....
. It is found in parts of France, Spain, and Portugal.
Description
Pelobates cultripes is a big smooth-skinned toad with a silvery gold or greenish eye and a vertical pupilPupil
The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed by the tissues inside the eye. In humans the pupil is round, but other species, such as some cats, have slit pupils. In...
. It has a black spade on the hind foot, hence its name. The edged callus internus of the hind foot is converted to allow digging. The upperside is greyish-yellowish with dark brown or greenish blotches and spots. It grows up to 11 cm and is larger and greener than the Common Spadefoot
Common spadefoot
Pelobates fuscus is a species of toad in the family Pelobatidae, native to an area extending from Central Europe to Western Asia. It is commonly known as the Common Spadefoot, Garlic Toad, the Common Spadefoot Toad and the European Common Spadefoot.The common spadefoot grows to a length of...
. The tadpoles are larger than those of most other toad species.
Behavior
This toad is mostly nocturnal, but occasionally vast numbers of it can be seen after rain. It hides in burrows up to 20 cm deep and can dig itself into earth quite fast. When threatened it inflates its body and mews, kitten-like.It breeds often in temporary water that is sometimes brackish. During mating season males appear first on wet nights at breeding sites, the females arrive later. The length of the breeding period depends on the rainfall and may last a month or only few days. During this time Pelobates cultripes may be partly diurnal. Males grab the females at the loins. Females produce bands of up to 7000 eggs which are up to 100 cm long. They lay them among vegetation or on the pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
bottom. The eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
hatch after two weeks and the tadpoles
Tadpoles
Tadpoles are a psychedelic rock band formed in 1990 in New York City by Todd Parker , Michael Kite Audino and Josh Bracken In 1992, Nick Kramer , David Max and Andrew Jackson of the fledgling Manhattan group, Hit, joined the Tadpoles after putting Hit on hiatus.In 1993 Kite and Jackson left the...
take around 4 to 6 months to develop. The drying up of their pond is, after predation, the most common cause of their death. Young toads are 2 to 3.5 cm long after metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation...
and take 3 years to reach maturity. This toad may live up to 15 years.
Males produce a deep and rapid 'co-co-co' under water which sound like a clucking hen
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
. Females call occasionally too.
Distribution
This species is found mostly in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and parts of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Its range does not overlap with the Common Spadefoot
Common spadefoot
Pelobates fuscus is a species of toad in the family Pelobatidae, native to an area extending from Central Europe to Western Asia. It is commonly known as the Common Spadefoot, Garlic Toad, the Common Spadefoot Toad and the European Common Spadefoot.The common spadefoot grows to a length of...
. It occurs in open areas usually with soft or sandy oils and can be found at elevations up to 1,800 meters.