The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission on Sept. 24 to seek protections for the western spadefoot under the state’s Endangered Species Act.
The species is commonly referred to as a toad but is a type of frog. The group said the species is threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, in addition to climate change, pollution and invasive species. The western spadefoot was proposed for threatened protections in 2023, but a final decision has yet to be made. The Center’s petition seeks state protections for the northern and southern populations, which span the species’ entire range in California.
