Book 16, Question 80
How Do Spadefoot Toads Live in a Desert?
Spadefoot toads live in a desert by staying buried underground through the dry months and coming out only when summer storms bring rain.
Spadefoot toads live in a desert by burying themselves and waiting for rain! They sleep underground for months, even years, while the desert above them stays dry. When a big rain arrives, they race to make the next generation.
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Quick answers
What tells them to come out?
The sound of thunder and rain during summer storms tells them to come out.
How fast do their young grow?
Their eggs hatch in about 15 hours, and tadpoles can become toadlets in as few as 9 days.
Source: National Park Service
More fun facts
- Couch's spadefoot toads spend most of the year several feet underground, resting through heat and dryness.
- The sound of thunder and rain during summer storms tells them to come out.
- Once above ground, they start eating right away, often termites that also come out in the summer rains.
- This might be a spadefoot's only chance to eat until the next summer.
- Their eggs hatch in about 15 hours, and tadpoles can become toadlets in as few as 9 days.
- That speed matters because desert rain pools dry up quickly.
- Bony spades on their back feet let them dig back into the soil.
Sources: National Park Service
Questions kids ask
What does a spadefoot toad sound like?
A male Couch's spadefoot makes a call that sounds like a sheep, which helps attract females.