In April, herpetologist Bryan Hamilton located the first amphibian in the park, a Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontanus), at the administrative site in Baker. This site is near where the new visitor center will be located, just north of town on Highway 487. The Great Basin Spadefoot (often known as "toad") is exquisitely adapted to life as a desert amphibian. Spadefoots are distinguished from "true toads" (Family Bufonidae) by their vertical pupils and wedge-like, black spade on their hind feet. Spadefoots remain underground for most of the year, emerging after spring and summer rains to gather at ponds, pools, and puddles to breed. Spadefoots possess the shortest larval (tadpole) period of all amphibians, metamorphosing from egg to tadpole to adult in as little as 14 days! They are most easily seen on rainy nights on roads in Snake and Spring Valleys.

Bryan Hamilton heads the park's reptile and amphibian inventories in addition to leading aquatics and mammal projects.