The plains spadefoot toad eats a variety of insects. Breeding takes place during april and may. Their voice is a long, rasping, nasal garvank. This is a stout, toadlike amphibian with large, protruding eyes, vertically elliptical pupils, short legs and large feet. The inner surface of each hind foot has a sickle-shaped spur or spade.
Coloration is light brown to yellow-brown.
The head, back and upper parts of the legs are mottled with dark brown. There ar usually two or three light yellow-brown stripes along the back. The belly is pale gray. This toad prefers open areas with sandy or loose soil in association with river flood plains. It breeds in temporarily flooded fields or ditches during warm, rainy weather in late spring or summer.