User:Gp318/New Mexico spadefoot toad

Paper 1
Calabrese, G. M., & Pfennig, K. S. (2022, October 27). Climate change alters sexual signaling in a desert-adapted frog. Climate Change Alters Sexual Signaling in a Desert-Adapted Frog. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/722174

Paper 2
Bagwill, A. L., Lovern, M. B., Worthington, T. A., Smith, L. M., & McMurry, S. T. (2016, October 6). Effects of Water Loss on New Mexico Spadefoot Toad (Spea multiplicata) Development, Spleen Cellularity, and Corticosterone Levels. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jez.2049

Rough Draft
The New Mexico Spadefoot Toad has been the subject of research related to the possible effects of climate change (specifically changes in rainfall and temperature) on reproduction and development. The impact of water loss at different tadpole stages was studied in the lab in two sets of experiments (Bagwill., Lovern, Worthington, Smith, & McMurry). Both experiments studied how water loss affected tadpole development, corticosterone levels, spleen size and cellularity, and overall body size. Overall, compared to control tadpoles who experienced no water loss, tadpole groups that experienced steady water loss had a faster rate of metamorphosis, but no consistent differences in corticosterone levels, spleen size or cellularity, or overall body size. This study concluded that while water loss will cause increased rates of development in spadefoot tadpoles, this does not necessarily result in changes in body size in adult spadefoot.

Another potential effect of climate change could be on the spadefoot toad’s calling behavior, used by males to attract mates, which is temperature dependent (Calabrese & Pfennig). Researchers examined the relationship between the calling of spadefoot toads and temperature by compiling climate records of temperature and precipitation over a 22-year period. Interestingly, although air temperatures increased over time in the spadefoots’ habitat, the water temperature of their breeding ponds has mostly declined, which can be explained by fluctuations in rainfall temperatures. Generally, faster and higher calls by males result in greater reproductive success. Once researchers corrected call rates for temperature, spadefoot call duration decreased while pulse and call rates increased over time. These findings show that climate change does not always have a direct effect on temperature-dependent traits. Instead, it can cause changes in species’ microenvironments that can have a greater impact on animal traits.

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/722174?journalCode=an

New changes: Addition of anatomy section, as well as diet/feeding and breeding under behavior section.
=== Lead: The New Mexico spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata) is a species of American spadefoot toad found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other species of spadefoot toad, they get their name from a distinctive spade-like projections on their hind legs which enable them to dig in sandy soils. Spea multiplicata can be identified by its wedge-shaped spade. Some sources also refer to the species as the Mexican spadefoot toad, desert spadefoot toad or southern spadefoot toad. ===

Article body:
Description: The New Mexico spadefoot toad grows from 1.5 to 2.5 inches in length, and has a round body, with relatively short legs. They are green, to grey, to brown, usually reflecting the soil color of their native habitat, often with black and orange colored speckling on their back, and a white underside. They have large eyes, with vertical pupils.

Behavior: Like all species of spadefoot toad, the New Mexico spadefoot toad is nocturnal and secretive. If handled, these frogs might emit a peanutlike odor, which can cause tearing and nasal discharge if in close contact with the face. Spending most of its time buried in the ground, the spadefoot emerges during periods of summer rainfall to feed on insects and to breed. Breeding takes place in temporary pools left by the rain. Eggs laid in large masses, often hatch in as little as 48 hours. The tadpoles are forced to metamorphose quickly, before the water dries up. S. multiplicata tadpoles exhibit phenotypic plasticity. Tadpoles that ingest fairy shrimp, when present, may express a novel carnivore phenotype. This novel phenotype increases the rate of development, helping the tadpoles to escape drying ponds more rapidly.

Taxonomy: The species was once classified as a subspecies of the western spadefoot toad, Spea hammondii, but distinctive morphological characteristics led researchers to reclassify it as its own species. The New Mexico spadefoot toad is also known to hybridize with the Plains spadefoot toad, Spea bombifrons in the areas where their ranges overlap, making distinguishing the species from each other difficult.

Trivia:


 * The New Mexico spadefoot toad was designated as the official State Amphibian of New Mexico in 2003.

References:

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 * Herps of Texas: Spea multiplicata
 * Amphibian Species of the World: Spea multiplicata
 * Peterson Field Guide - Western Reptiles and Amphibians 3rd Edition