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Desert amphibians

It may be years between rainstorms in the central deserts of Australia, but even here there are amphibians. Spadefoot toads can stay underground in a state of suspended animation for years, but will then all emerge together after the first rain. They must feed and breed before the sun rises, if at all possible. As this is one of the hottest places on earth - with temperatures rising to 50 degrees centigrade - the toads must then burrow back into the ground to survive the extreme heat. It’s a miracle that they exist here at all.

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