The Plains Spadefoot Toad

I have the pleasure of working with the plains spadefoot toad (Spea bombifrons). A breeding population was recently confirmed in 2014. This video presents the bulbous tadpoles swimming in the shallow, ephemeral margins of a meadow pond. Take a closer look to see them in various stages of metamorphosis. In the Wildlife Health Program, we monitor Yellowstone’s amphibians for the presence of Chytrid fungus and Ranavirus — two deleterious diseases that have the potential to decimate populations.