Varaldi's Spadefoot Toad
The Moroccan knife base ( Pelobates varaldii ) is a Froschlurch and belongs to the genus of the European spadefoot ( Pelobates ) within the superfamily of toads frogs. With the sharp-edged, horny growths on his feet he can shovel like other toads quickly dig into loose soil, where he spends the day. Unlike its mainly focused on Europe relatives to find him as probably the only Pelobates - kind in North Africa.
Distribution and habitat
The Moroccan knife base occurs in the Moroccan coastal plains. The range of the species is highly fragmented. The southernmost known occurrence is located in the salt marshes of Oualidia, the northernmost secure in the territory of the city of Larache ( it is not excluded that a questionable proof of the related foot diameter for the Spanish enclave of Melilla is actually attributable to the Moroccan knife base ). Above 350 meters above sea level the species was never found.
The species prefers sandy and vegetated soils in the lowlands, partly within cork oak forests. The reproductive bodies of water are often temporary bodies of water such as rain puddles. In culture, land and other human -modified areas of the Moroccan knife base can not be found. The half of the animals spend in a survival state ( aestivation ) buried in the ground.
System
The Moroccan knife base and three closely related species of the genus Pelobates usually form an independent family Pelobatidae. It is the common spadefoot ( P. fuscus ), the knife base ( P. cultripes ) and the Syrian shovel toad ( P. syriacus ).
Endangering
The Moroccan knife base is classified in the red list of endangered species by the IUCN as endangered ( " Endangered " ) because its range is very small and also highly fragmented, with probably less than 500 km2. In addition, a continuous habitat change is observed and assumed a decrease in the population. Information on the size of the total population of this species are, however, not before.