spadefoot toad

American  

noun

1. any of several nocturnal toads of the family Pelobatidae, common in the Northern Hemisphere, characterized by a horny, spadelike projection on each hind foot for burrowing under the soil.

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Etymology

Origin of spadefoot toad

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spadefoot toad

Those comparisons helped demonstrate that the La Brea fossils belonged to a distinct species of spadefoot toad rather than to an unusual individual of a known species.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

The extinct spadefoot toad, now named Spea labreae, represents the first new extinct amphibian species discovered from the famous fossil site.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Unearthing the spadefoot toad wasn’t the result of a targeted search — it happened by accident, much like many of history’s greatest finds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

In one species of spadefoot toad, they found, the carnivorous tadpole stage has become entrenched—there's no need for a dietary trigger.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 28, 2018

Examples of animal cannibalism are as numerous as they are interesting, from spadefoot toad larvae who eat their own brood-mates to legless amphibians called caecilians whose hatchlings peel and consume their mothers’ skin.

From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2017

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