Type: report

Article abstract: The western spadefoot (Spea hammondii, spadefoot) is under review for federal listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (ECOS March 2020) and is a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Species of Special Concern (CDFW 2019). The species is also a covered species in the County of Orange Central and Coastal Subregions Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP 1995). In southern California more than 80% of spadefoot habitat has been lost to development (Jennings and Hayes 1994) and suitable habitat in northern California has been significantly reduced (Fisher and Shaffer 1996; Rose et al. 2020). Spadefoot are small, nocturnal, burrowing anurans. The adults spend the majority of their lives burrowed in terrestrial habitat, emerging primarily during rain events to feed and breed. Spadefoot historically breed in vernal pools but are known to take advantage of any seasonal water body, such as road ruts, cattle ponds and created pools due to diminishing and limited vernal pool habitat (Stebbins and McGinnis 2012). Pools must persist for a minimum of 30 days for their larvae to complete development (Morey and Reznick 2004). This study was conducted to provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with a current assessment of occupied habitat across California. In southern California these surveys will also be used for a future model of habitat suitability for the species by comparing occupancy of current aquatic breeding sites to formerly documented breeding sites and occurrences recorded during USGS surveys conducted in the early 2000s.