While on a landscape shoot in Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, I encountered a vernal pool at the base of some rainbow buttes that was full of egg clutches. Among the scattered clutches was this single mating pair of Great Basin Spadefoot Toads. This species is a master of extremes. Though April, it was still in the 20’s at night during this unseasonable cold spring. In summer it reaches the 100’s with no water. These little toads survive by burying themselves in the loose, beach-like sand, as deep as 15 feet. There, they remain dormant in a state of torper much of the year, not feeding and barely breathing. They hunt for their entire year’s supply of food on only a handful of rainy nights during warm temperatures.
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