CreatureData

Common spadefoot

Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768)

LCLeast Concernfrogs and toads

The common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus) is a species in the family Pelobatidae, order Anura. Recorded adults weigh about 29.4 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus)
Photo: Franco Andreone - see authorization · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the common spadefoot

Weight
29.4 gsrc for Weight
Length
up to 8 cmsrc for Length
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Invertivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
11 years
Main food
arthropodssrc for Main food
Habitat
Not recorded
Young per litter or clutch
1,522 – 3,000src for Young per litter or clutch
Reproduction
Eggssrc for Reproduction
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Photos of the common spadefoot

Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.

1 more photo exists under a licence we cannot display: view at source.

Where does the common spadefoot live?

Not recorded

What is the common spadefoot?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

Pelobates fuscus is a species of toad in the family Pelobatidae, native to an area extending from Central Europe to Western Asia. It is commonly known as the common spadefoot, garlic toad, the common spadefoot toad and the European common spadefoot.

The common spadefoot grows to a length of approximately 6.5 centimetres (2.6 in) for males and 8 centimetres (3.1 in) for females. The skin colouration varies depending upon habitat, gender and region, but is usually light-grey to beige-brown on the dorsal surface. The skin is mottled by darker marks that differ between individuals. The belly is white, sometimes with grey mottling. Albino specimens have been observed.

Two subspecies are traditionally recognised: Pelobates fuscus fuscus (from central Europe) and Pelobates fuscus insubricus (from Northern Italy). In reality there is no physical or behavioural character allowing to distinguish these supposed subspecies. A recent study showed that there is no haplotype segregation for the populations of Northern Italy, that, therefore, are not to be ascribed to a different subspecies. Haplotypes from some Northern Italian valleys are very characteristic and support a different conception in terms of conservation: not for a different taxonomic position but, instead, for a peculiar differentiation. Populations from eastern Europe appear sufficiently different that they may warrant a separate species status (Pelobates vespertinus).

When alarmed, it emits a very loud call (alarm call) and it can exude a noxious secretion which smells like garlic, hence its common name.

From the Wikipedia article “Pelobates fuscus” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pelobates_fuscus&oldid=1349130822), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

What does the common spadefoot sound like?

Odé, Baudewijn .mw-parser-output .messagebox{margin:4px… · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Is the common spadefoot endangered?

The common spadefoot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the common spadefoot classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAmphibia
  4. orderAnura
  5. familyPelobatidae
  6. genusPelobates
  7. SpeciesPelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768)

Synonyms Bombina fusca, Bombina marmorata, Bombinator fuscus, Bufo fuscus, Cultripes minor, Pelobates fusca marmorata, Pelobates fuscus fuscus, Pelobates fuscus insubricus, Pelobates fuscus lividis, Pelobates insubricus, Pelobates latifrons, Pelobates praefuscus, Rana alliacea, Rana cultripes minor

Other names and names in other languages (43)
  • Common Eurasian spadefoot toadEnglish
  • Common spadefoot toadEnglish
  • Common spadefoot toadEnglish
  • European common spadefootEnglish
  • European spadefootEnglish
  • European spadefoot toadEnglish
  • Spade-foot toadEnglish
  • Часночніца звычайнаяBelarusian
  • Обикновена чесновницаBulgarian
  • blatnice skvrnitáCzech
  • LøgfrøDanish
  • LandunkeGerman
  • Braune ProtzeGerman
  • Brauner KrötenfroschGerman
  • KnoblauchfroschkröteGerman
  • KnoblauchkröteGerman
  • KnoblauchskröteGerman
  • Marmorierte ProtzeGerman
  • WasserkröteGerman
  • Sapo de Espuelas PardoSpanish
  • Harilik mudakonnEstonian
  • kaivajasammakkoFinnish
  • Pélobate brunFrench
  • Pélobate brun (Le)French
  • חפרית אירופית מצויהHebrew
  • ČešnjačaCroatian
  • Barna ásóbékaHungarian
  • Pelobate FoscoItalian
  • ニンニクガエルJapanese
  • ČesnakėLithuanian
  • VaržukrupisLatvian
  • KnoflookpadDutch
  • Grzebiuszka ZiemnaPolish
  • Broasca de pământ brunăRomanian
  • Обыкновенная чесночницаRussian
  • Obyknovennaya ChesnochnitsaRussian
  • Hrabavka škvrnitáSlovak
  • Navadna česnovkaSlovenian
  • Обична чешњаркаSerbian
  • lökgrodaSwedish
  • Trakya Toprak KurbağasıTurkish
  • Часничниця звичайнаUkrainian
  • 歐洲鋤足蟾Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the common spadefoot

Other species in the same genus Pelobates.

CompareCommon spadefoot vs Syrian spadefootCommon spadefoot vs Western spadefootCommon spadefoot vs Moroccan spadefoot toadCommon spadefoot vs Balkan spadefoot

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the common spadefoot?

An adult common spadefoot weighs 29.4 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the common spadefoot endangered?

The common spadefoot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What does the common spadefoot eat?

Its recorded main food is arthropods.

What kind of animal is the common spadefoot?

The common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus) belongs to the family Pelobatidae in the order Anura.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-spadefoot

MLA

“Common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-spadefoot.

BibTeX
@misc{common_spadefoot_2026,
  title = {Common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-spadefoot},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}