Can Britain's Common Toads Be Saved from Roads and Population Collapse?

It is Friday night at half past seven, but instead of going out or watching a film, I've caught a train to a town in the countryside to join local helpers from a toad patrol. These dedicated individuals give up their nights to safeguard the local toad population.

A Worrying Decline in Population

The Bufo bufo is growing more uncommon. A recent research led by an amphibian and reptile charity showed that the British common toad numbers have almost halved since 1985. Seeing a species that has been a fixture of the UK landscape in decline is labeled "worrying" by experts. Toads "don't require very specific conditions" and "should be able to live successfully in the majority of areas in Britain," meaning if even they are struggling to persist, "it indicates that things are not as they should be."

The UK toad population has almost halved since 1985

The Threat from Roads

Though the study didn't examine the causes for the drop, traffic is a major factor. Calculations indicate that 20 tons of toads are crushed on UK roads annually – that is, several hundred thousand. Unlike frogs, which might be happy to mate "if you left out a bucket of water," toads favor large ponds. Their ability to stay out of water for longer than frogs means they can journey farther to find them – sometimes hundreds of metres. They tend to follow their ancestral migration routes – it's typical for mature amphibians to go back to their birth pond to mate.

Breeding Habits

Appropriately enough, the initial amphibians begin their quest for a partner around Valentine's day, but others travel as far as spring, waiting until it gets dark and moving through the night. During that time, toads start moving from wherever they have been hibernating "all pretty much at the same time."

One volunteer, who was raised in the area and has been trying to protect its amphibians since he was a child, notes that "They've got just one focus: to go and mate." If their route crosses a street, they could all get run over, and that breeding season would never happen – preventing a new generation of toads from being produced.

Toad Patrols Across the United Kingdom

Finding many of toad carcasses on local roads "inherently strikes a chord with people," and has resulted in the formation of rescue teams across the UK – 274 groups are officially listed with a countrywide program. These teams collect toads and transport them across roads in containers, as well as counting the number of toads they find and lobbying for other safety solutions, such as road closures and amphibian passages.

Patrols usually work during the breeding period, when toad crossings are frequent. However, this implies they can overlook groups of young toads, which, having existed as spawn and then tadpoles, leave their water habitats over an unpredictable schedule in late summer. Because of their small stature – just a couple of cm wide – "they can get obliterated by car traffic." And as being hit "basically turns them into mush," it's more difficult to collect information on them. At least when adult toads are killed, their remains can be counted.

Year-Round Work

In contrast to many groups, a specific volunteer group, who are in their eighth year of functioning, go out throughout the year – not every night, but whenever conditions are warm and wet, or if a member has posted about a amphibian spotting in their group chat. When I request to accompany them on duty, they concede it is "not ideal conditions" – toad hibernation season has started and it's been a arid period – but several of the volunteers willingly accept to walk up and down their area with me and see what we can find. "If anyone can find any toads tonight, those two will find one," says the patrol manager, pointing to her teenage child and the longtime volunteer. We've been out for 120 minutes without a glimpse of any amphibians, and now they have scaled a wire barrier to inspect beneath some wood.

Family Participation

The family duo became part of the group a year and a half ago. The youngster adores all things nature-related and has an goal to become a environmentalist, so his parent started to look for things they could do jointly to protect local wildlife. Now she loves it as much as he does, the middle-aged small business owner explains – so when the group was looking for a fresh coordinator recently, she decided to step up.

The youth, too, has played an important role in the group. A clip he made, urging the local council to block a street through a protected area during migration season, swung the decision the team's way. After a twelve months of campaigning, the authority agreed to an "restricted access" rule between evening and morning from February through to April. Most drivers respected and avoided the route.

Additional Species and Difficulties

A few vehicles go by when I'm out on duty and we find some victims as a consequence – no amphibians, but three squashed newts. We spot one living newt as well, and the teenager is especially excited to see a harvestman, which moves in his palms. Yet in spite of the group's best efforts to show me a toad, the local population has obviously settled down for the winter. It seems that I couldn't have found any better success elsewhere in the nation – all the patrol groups I reach out to clarify that it's very difficult at this season.

This team anticipates assisting around ten thousand mature toads over the street

A message I get from another volunteer, who has kindly made the effort to look for toads in a noted location, thought to be the largest accurately monitored toad population in the UK, arrives in my inbox with the title: "None found." However, in late winter, he informs me, the group expects to help around 10,000 mature amphibians over the street.

Impact and Challenges

What level of impact can these organizations actually make? "The fact that people are performing this consistently on cold, damp and unpleasant late nights is quite extraordinary," notes an researcher. "That's something that very much should be celebrated." However, while rescue teams are able to reduce the drop, they cannot prevent it entirely – not least because traffic is just one danger.

Other Dangers

The global warming has meant extended spells of drought, which cause the poor environment for some of the animals that toads consume, such as invertebrates, while warmer ponds have led to an rise of toxic plants, which can be harmful to toads. Milder winters also lead toads to emerge from their dormancy more frequently, interfering with the resource preservation crucial to their existence. Loss of environment – especially the loss of big water bodies – is an additional threat.

Experts are "often concerned about putting too much of a utilitarian spin on wildlife," but "It's important in just having these animals around." But toads do have an important role in the food chain, eating pretty much any small creatures or small animals they can swallow and in turn sustaining a variety of birds and mammals, such as wildlife. Improving situations for toads – such as creating more ponds, conserving woodland and constructing amphibian passages – "we'll improve them for a whole bunch of additional wildlife."

Cultural Significance

Another reason to work to preserve toads present is their "historical significance," adds an expert. Legends and tales around toads date back {centuries|hundred