The plains spadefoot (Spea bombifrons) is toadally cute. But did you know that this stout amphibian, which inhabits arid regions of western North America, is an “explosive” breeder? After mating, females can lay as many as 2,000 eggs! These eggs might hatch in as few as two days, and the resulting tadpoles can develop rapidly, sometimes maturing in just 13 days. This species reproduces en masse after warm heavy rains.

Photo: Andrew DuBois, CC BY-NC 2.0, flickr
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