Scaphiopus hurterii Strecker, 1910

Nomenclature and Classification

Hurter's spadefoot toad, also called Hurter's spadefoot, with the scientific name Scaphiopus hurterii, is a species of American spadefoot toad that belongs to the family Scaphiopodidae.

Distribution

This species is found in the south central United States, specifically in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma; its range may also extend into adjacent northern Mexico.

Taxonomic History

It was previously classified as a subspecies of the eastern spadefoot toad, Scaphiopus holbrookii, but is now recognized as its own separate species.

Etymology

Its specific epithet hurterii honors Julius Hurter, a Swiss-American naturalist who worked as curator of the St. Louis Academy of Sciences.

Habitat Soil Preferences

This species lives in areas with sandy, gravelly, or soft, light soils, in both wooded and unwooded terrain.

Habitat Types

It can also be found in sandy open woodland, savanna, and mesquite scrub.

Non-Active Behavior

When it is not active, this toad burrows underground.

Breeding Habitat

Breeding occurs in temporary pools that form after heavy rains.