Will Britain's Common Toads Survive from Roads and Terrible Decline?

It's Friday evening at 7:30, but rather than going out or relaxing at home, I've taken a train to a market town in Wiltshire to meet up with local helpers from a amphibian rescue group. These dedicated individuals give up their evenings to protect the native amphibian community.

A Worrying Decline in Population

The common toad is becoming increasingly uncommon. A recent study conducted by an amphibian and reptile charity revealed that the British common toad numbers have dropped by half since 1985. Seeing a creature that has been a stalwart of the British countryside in decline is labeled "concerning" by experts. Toads "don't require very particular environments" and "should be able to live quite well in the majority of habitats in the UK," so if even they are not managing to survive, "it indicates that the ecosystem is unbalanced."

Since 1985, Britain's toad numbers have nearly been cut in half

The Threat from Roads

Though the research didn't cover the causes for the decline, traffic certainly plays a part. Calculations indicate that 20 tonnes of toads are crushed on UK roads every year – in other words, several hundred thousand. In contrast to frogs, which would probably be content to mate "with just a bucket of water," toads favor big bodies of water. Their capacity to remain away from water for longer than frogs allows they can journey farther to reach them – often hundreds of metres. They tend to follow their traditional paths – it's common for mature amphibians to go back to their birth pond to mate.

Migration Patterns

Appropriately enough, the initial amphibians begin their quest for a partner around Valentine's day, but others travel as far as April, until it gets night and travelling after sunset. During that time, toads begin migrating from wherever they have been overwintering "almost simultaneously."

A local helper, who grew up in the area and has been working to save its toad population since he was a boy, notes that "Their sole purpose: to go and mate." If their path crosses a road, they could be killed by traffic, and that mating period would never happen – stopping a new generation of toads from being born.

Toad Patrols Throughout the United Kingdom

Finding many of toad carcasses on nearby streets "inherently strikes a chord with people," and has led to the creation of toad patrols throughout the UK – hundreds of organizations are officially listed with a countrywide program. These teams collect toads and transport them across roads in buckets, as well as recording the number of toads they encounter and advocating for other safety solutions, such as road closures and amphibian passages.

Patrols tend to operate during the breeding period, when toad crossings are frequent. However, this implies they can miss numbers of toadlets, which, having been eggs and then juveniles, exit their ponds over an irregular timetable in late summer. Because of their size – just one or two centimetres wide – "they are destroyed by car traffic." And as being hit "essentially crushes them," it's harder to get data on them. At least when mature amphibians are killed, their carcasses can be tallied.

Annual Efforts

In contrast to many groups, one local team, who are in their eighth season of operating, go out year-round – not every night, but when weather are warm and wet, or if a member has posted about a amphibian spotting in their messaging app. When I ask to join them on patrol, they concede it is "not ideal conditions" – winter dormancy has started and it's been a dry day – but several of the volunteers willingly accept to patrol their route with me and search for any toads. "Should anyone can find any toads tonight, that pair will spot one," says the group coordinator, indicating her teenage child and the experienced member. After for two hours without a single toad sighting, and now they have scaled a wire barrier to inspect beneath some logs.

Family Involvement

The family duo joined the patrol a year and a half ago. The youngster loves all things nature-related and has an goal to become a conservationist, so his parent started to look for activities they could do jointly to help native animals. Now she enjoys it as much as he does, the 41-year-old small business owner tells me – so when the team was looking for a new manager lately, she volunteered for the role.

The youth, too, has been instrumental in the group. A clip he made, imploring the municipal authority to close a road through a protected area during breeding time, swung the decision the team's way. After a twelve months of campaigning, the council agreed to an "restricted access" rule between 5pm and 5am from late winter through to spring. Most drivers respected and avoided the road.

Other Wildlife and Challenges

Several cars go by when I'm out on duty and we discover some victims as a consequence – no amphibians, but several crushed salamanders. We see one live amphibian as well, and the teenager is especially excited to see a harvestman, which dances in his hands. Yet in spite of the group's best efforts to show me a toad, the local population has clearly gone dormant for the winter. It seems that I wouldn't have had any better success anywhere else in the country – all the patrol groups I contact clarify that it's very difficult at this time of year.

The group expects to help approximately 10,000 adult toads across the road

A message I get from a different helper, who has generously taken the trouble to look for toads in a famous site, thought to be the biggest tracked toad group in the UK, arrives in my inbox with the subject line: "No toads." However, in February and March, he informs me, the group expects to help approximately 10,000 adult toads over the street.

Effectiveness and Limitations

What level of impact can these organizations actually make? "The reality that people are doing this regularly on chilly, wet and miserable evenings is quite extraordinary," says an expert. "That's something that very much deserves recognition." However, while rescue teams are able to reduce the drop, they can't stop it completely – not least because traffic is just one danger.

Additional Threats

The global warming has meant extended spells of drought, which cause the poor environment for some of the creatures that toads eat, such as worms and slugs, while warmer ponds have caused an increase of toxic plants, which can be harmful to toads. Warmer cold seasons also lead toads to wake up from their dormancy more often, interfering with the resource preservation vital to their existence. Loss of environment – particularly the disappearance of large ponds – is another menace.

Researchers are "often concerned about putting too much of a utilitarian spin on wildlife," but "There is a big value in just their presence." But toads do have an important role in the ecosystem, eating pretty much any invertebrates or tiny organisms they can swallow and in turn sustaining a number of predators, such as hedgehogs and otters. Enhancing situations for toads – ie building water habitats, conserving woodland and installing toad tunnels – "benefits for a whole bunch of additional wildlife."

Cultural Significance

An additional motive to work to preserve toads present is their "important cultural value," notes an specialist. Legends and tales around toads date back {centuries|hundred