Pélobate brun (F); Knoflookpad (NL); Lökgroda (S); Almindelig løgfrø (DK); Blatnice skvrnitá (CZ)

Distribution:
Central and Eastern Europe in the great plains on sandy soil; western border from the Netherlands to the Alsace in France. Rare in the Po Valley.

Size:
about 4-6,5 cm;
about 5-8 cm

Pupil: , vertical, slit-shaped.

Metamorphosed Animal:
Often the toads look brown yellow marbled, brown spotted on a yellow background, with a light vertebral line, not extending onto the snout. Ground colour may be with shades of grey or brown. Between the blackish warts also red dots are present.

Metatarsal tubercle modified into a large 'spade' (photo) with which the toad is able to dig itself in backwards rapidly. Between the eyes there is a well-marked lump. Sometimes having a weak smell of garlic.

Mating:
End of March to end of May, sometimes also from June to middle of August.

Call:
Soft, usually three times "ock-ock-ock", always under water. Prefers very much vegetated pools, which may be both eutrophic and brackish. Very secretive.

Common spadefoot
Pelobates fuscus

Adult Common spadefoot
XXL slide