The European spadefoot toads are a family of frogs, the Pelobatidae, with only one extant genus Pelobates, containing six species. They are native to Europe, the Mediterranean, northwestern Africa, and western Asia.

Per 2016, the Pelobatoidea contain 202 species in 11 genera and 2 families. The distribution covers Europe, North Africa and West Asia (Family Pelobatidae) and Southeast Asia (family Megophryidae). Their sister group are the Pelodytoidea, consisting of North American spadefood toads and parsley frogs.

Read about Pelobatidae (Spadefoots, Archaic Frogs, Pelobatids,) on the Animal Diversity Web.

The European spadefoot toads are a family of frogs, the Pelobatidae. There is only one living genus, called Pelobates. It has four species. They live in Europe, the Mediterranean, northwestern Africa and western Asia. The European spadefoot toads are small to large sized frogs. They grow up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length.

Pelobates fuscus is a species of toad in the family Pelobatidae, native to an area extending from Central Europe to Western Asia. It is commonly known as the common spadefoot, garlic toad, the common spadefoot toad and the European common spadefoot.

Pelobatidae are characterized by having sacral vertebrae (the vertebrae attached to the hips) fused to their "tail" vertebrae (whereas these are jointed in many frogs); the presence of a metatarsal spade; and bony ornamentation on the bones covering the brain (the frontoparietals).

Spadefoot toads are burrowing frogs that live in areas with loose, often sandy soil and usually dry weather. Some, like the Plains spadefoot toad, can live in almost desert-like conditions. They come above ground, usually at night following a heavy rain or when the air is humid, to find food. Spring rains also bring the frogs onto land for mating.

Most workers before Griffiths, 1960, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 13, 2: 626–640, and Griffiths, 1963, Biol. Rev. Cambridge Philos. Soc., 38: 273, considered Sooglossidae to be included in Pelobatidae (in the sense of also including Megophryidae and Scaphiopodidae of this list).

The spadefoot toads are burrowing frogs that spend their days and many of their nights underground where the ground is moist. They use the spades on their feet to dig rump-first into the ground. They shovel with one foot at a time and …

Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. McGraw-Hill, New York. 2 volumes.