The Common Spadefoot is a terrestrial, rarely found frog. It inhabits a wide spectrum of habitat, including different forests and their edges, groves, steppes, meadows, fields, parks and gardens. In arid areas, these frogs occur on sands, in wormwood steppes etc. In these palaces frogs usually live in close proximity to water bodies.
   In appearance, Spadefoot shows tympanic membrane absent, skin smooth, pupil of the eye - vertical. Webs between toes are well-developed. No male resonators. Body robust, hind legs short, head large. Dorsal coloration yellow-grayish, brown grayish or brown with large dark-brown or dark olive spots and small redish points. Belly white-grayish, without pattern or with rare gray points. The frontal surface between the eyes is more or less conspicuous.
   Characteristic feature of this frog is that being irritated, it exudes secretion with a smell of garlic. Common Spadefoot has a length of 1-5 cm. Reproduction period - April-June.
   Males vocalize under water and do not form breeding choruses. The clutch contains 480-3000 eggs and resembles paired, thick, sausage-like cord up to 1 m in length. Young tadpoles stay usually on bottom. They grow very fast and after 1-2 months attain a size of 35-50 mm and more. At this time, the tadpoles tend to stay on plants within the water column and often appear near the water surface. Metamorphosis occurs in July-September. Newly metamorphosed juveniles bury themselves near the shore and may overwinter there.
   Tadpoles consume detritus and plants, mainly algae, as well as animal matter. Adults eat mainly crawling unvertebrates and fast-flying insects are consumed less frequently.