{"id":2736,"date":"2020-01-14T12:39:28","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T12:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moroccoherps.com\/?page_id=2736"},"modified":"2020-06-15T20:46:02","modified_gmt":"2020-06-15T20:46:02","slug":"pelobates_varaldii","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.moroccoherps.com\/en\/ficha\/pelobates_varaldii\/","title":{"rendered":"Species page of Pelobates varaldii"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Moroccan Spadefoot Toad
\nPelobates varaldii<\/span><\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Pasteur & Bons, 1959<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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By\u00a0Gabriel Mart\u00ednez del M\u00e1rmol Mar\u00edn<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Updated:\u00a023\/09\/2012<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Taxonomy:\u00a0Anura\u00a0|\u00a0Pelobatidae\u00a0|\u00a0Pelobates\u00a0|\u00a0Pelobates varaldii<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Pelobates
Adult. Kenitra. Photo: \u00a9 Philip de Pous.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Range<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u00a0Pelobates varaldii<\/span><\/p>\n

Distribution map of
\nPelobates varaldii<\/span>
\nin Morocco.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Gallery: 18 photos. [ENTER]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Phylogenetic frame<\/h2>\n

Until 1959, the Moroccan spadefoot toads were considered to belong to the species\u00a0Pelobates cultripes<\/span>\u00a0(Cuvier, 1829). However in that year were separated as a distinct species based on morphological criteria (Pasteur & Bons in Bons & Geniez, 1996), which was subsequently confirmed with electrophoretic and immunological analysis (Busack\u00a0et al.<\/em>, 1985).<\/p>\n

Description<\/h2>\n
\n
\"Spadefoot
“Spadefoot” detail. Kenitra. Photo: \u00a9 Philip de Pous.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Moroccan spadefoot toad is an anuran with smooth skin and without paratoid glands typical of most species of toads. Males are about 6.5\u00a0cm total length and females more, with an average of 7\u00a0cm (Bons & Geniez, 1996; de Pous & Beukema, 2011). The head is broad with a slightly pointed snout. The eyes are large and prominent, coppery-yellow color with small black spots. The pupil is vertical and black. They often have red spots above the eyes and in the dorsal and lateral areas. The background color is gray-brown with marks darker than the background color.<\/p>\n

It has black metatarsal tubercles to help it in its burrowing habits.<\/p>\n

It\u00b4s easily differentiated from other amphibians in Morocco to be the one with vertical pupil and smooth skin.\u00a0Alytes maurus<\/span>, the other amphibian with vertical pupil present in the study area has rough skin (Schleich\u00a0et al.<\/em>, 1996).<\/p>\n

Ecology and habits<\/h2>\n

It is a predominantly nocturnal species with special physiological adaptations to withstand long periods of inactivity buried (Schleich, 1996). This anuran is a excellent excavator. Thanks to its dark tubercles which has in the legs is able to quickly buried in the soil of sandy areas and loose soil where they live.<\/p>\n

\"Pelobates
\n\"Pelobates
\n\"Pelobates<\/p>\n
\"Pelobates
Photographic sequence showing\u00a0Pelobates varaldii\u00a0burying itself. Kenitra. Photos: \u00a9 Ra\u00fal Le\u00f3n.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

With the arrival of the temperate rain after the hot and dry summer, they leave their burrows and flocking to time locations of water to breed. Once in the water the males start calling females with a sound audible up to 2\u00a0Km away. Male fights may occur. When a female goes to the place of spawning, the male grab the female by the waist (inguinal amplexus) and after a long period submerged, which can last several days, the female releases eggs into the water in areas not too deep and the male fertilizes them. The clutch consist of up to 1000 eggs in a string of 1-1,5\u00a0m long gray with 0.11 to 0.2\u00a0cm of diameter. The tadpoles hatch within a maximum of one week since its start, a very short time, which is part of the adaptive strategy of this anuran to temporary aquatic points. Tadpoles feed on plankton and detritus, reaching up to 13\u00a0cm in length before metamorphosis, which occurs in may and june.\u00a0Pelobates varaldii<\/span>\u00a0tadpoles differ from those of other species to reach larger sizes and have 5\u00a0rows of denticles on the lower lip. At the completion of metamorphosis the young toads are between 2.1 to 3.4\u00a0cm (Schleich, 1996; de Pous & Beukema, 2011).<\/p>\n

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\"Clutch
Pelobates varaldii\u00a0metamorphosis. Clutch. Photo: \u00a9 Philip de Pous.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Tadpole
Pelobates varaldii metamorphosis. Tadpole. Photo: \u00a9 Gabri Mtnez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Pelobates
Pelobates varaldii metamorphosis. Juvenile. Photo \u00a9 Gabri Mtnez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

In its diet includes lots of invertebrates captured in the vicinity of its burrow, not travel long distances to hunt (de Pous & Beukema, 2011).<\/p>\n

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\"Pelobates
Pelobates varaldii. F\u00f4ret de La Mamora. Photo: \u00a9 Wouter Beukema.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

As predators has been cited the barn owl (Tyto alba<\/span>, in Bons & Geniez Thevenot, 1996). In many points where this anuran breeding is often found the viperine snake (Natrix maura<\/span>). This snake must prey on individuals of all ages, although it has only been confirmed predation on the tadpoles (J. G\u00e1llego pers. comm.).\u00a0Pelobates varaldii<\/span>\u00a0prevents most predators buried, leaving no entrance in its hole and being very difficult to locate. If it\u00b4s caught, it can emit a sharp sound or release urine to try to deter potential predators (Schleich, 1996).<\/p>\n

Distribution, habitat and abundance<\/h2>\n

This toad has been found in coastal areas of Morocco from Tanger (30STE34) in the north to Oualidia in south, penetrating inland to Sidi Slimane, reaching a maximum altitude of 350\u00a0m (Bons & Geniez, 1996; Lape\u00f1a\u00a0et al.<\/em>, 2011). It lives in sandy areas undisturbed and preventing the cultivated areas (de Pous & Beukema, 2011). It has only been located in areas of sandy substrate where this amphibian can be buried easily.<\/p>\n

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\"Typical
Typical habitat in Kenitra. Photos: \u00a9 Gabri Mtnez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

According to IUCN criteria, the moroccan spadefoot toad is in a conservation state of “endangered” (EN: Salvador\u00a0et al.<\/em>, 2006).<\/p>\n

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\"Pelobates
Individual found drowned in a well. Tangier. Photo: \u00a9 Juan Pablo Gonz\u00e1lez de la Vega.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Threats of this anuran are diverse. Intensified grazing affects their spawning areas transforming their habitat and polluting its breeding places with abundant livestock waste. The extension of cultives also affects populations of moroccan spadefoot toad. Their points of breeding are limited to points of temporary water because in the permanent water points have been introduced a species of predatory fish like\u00a0Gambusia holbrooki<\/span>\u00a0(Schleich\u00a0et al.<\/em>, 1996, Salvador\u00a0et al.<\/em>, 2006; de Pous & Beukema, 2011). It\u00b4s usually found fallen in cisterns and other human buildings that behave as traps, and also it usually must dead on roads, like the other amphibians species in Morocco.<\/p>\n

References<\/h3>\n