Launched into low orbit, the Space Toad guards Earth from insect invasion! With cutting-edge targeting systems and quantum leap propulsion, this cosmic amphibian blasts bugs before they even know what hit them!
Spadefoot toads are masters of desert survival. They can burrow deep into the earth and enter a state of dormancy (estivation) for up to 11 months, waiting for rainfall. A single rainstorm triggers explosive breeding activity.
When rain finally comes, spadefoot toads have just days to breed before pools dry up. Their tadpoles complete metamorphosis in as little as 8-10 days — the fastest of any frog in the world!
They get their name from a hard, spade-like tubercle on each hind foot, used for rapidly digging backwards into soil. A spadefoot can disappear into the ground in just a few minutes.
Spadefoot toads produce a distinctive skin secretion that smells like roasted peanuts or fresh popcorn. Scientists use this unusual trait to locate them in the field by smell alone!