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Saguaro National Park
Mexican Spadefoot
Mexican spadefoot

NPS photo

Mexican Spadefoot (Spea multiplicata)

Similar in habit to Couch’s spadefoot, the Mexican spadefoot is active during the summer rainy season. They are brownish-gray in color with scattered dark blotches and red bumps. When handled, they emit a skin secretion with a peanut-like odor which may cause the handler’s eyes and nose to run. The call of the Mexican spadefoot has been described as the sound a fingernail makes when dragged along the teeth of a comb.

Length: 1 ½ - 2 ½ in. (3.8 - 6.3 cm)

Diet: Insects

Javelina  

Did You Know?
Javelinas are able to eat spiny prickly pear pads with no obvious harm to their mouths, stomachs or intestinal tracts. Javelinas are not true pigs, they are peccaries, which are native to the Americas.

Last Updated: August 25, 2008 at 17:26 EST