Can Britain's Common Toads Be Saved from Traffic and Terrible Decline?

It is a Friday evening at 7:30, but instead of heading to the pub or watching a film, I've caught a train to a market town in the countryside to join local helpers from a amphibian rescue group. These committed people sacrifice their evenings to protect the local toad population.

A Worrying Decline in Population

The common toad is becoming increasingly rare. A recent study led by an wildlife conservation group showed that the British common toad numbers have almost halved since the mid-1980s. Seeing a species that has been a stalwart of the British countryside in decline is labeled "concerning" by researchers. 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 not managing to survive, "it indicates that the ecosystem is unbalanced."

The UK toad population has almost halved since 1985

The Danger from Roads

Though the study didn't examine the causes for the decline, traffic is a major factor. Calculations suggest that 20 tons of toads are crushed on British roads every year – that is, several hundred thousand. In contrast to frogs, which might be happy to mate "with just a small container," toads prefer large ponds. Their ability to remain away from water for more time than frogs means they can travel further to reach them – often hundreds of metres. They usually follow their ancestral migration routes – it's typical for mature amphibians to go back to their natal pond to mate.

Breeding Habits

Appropriately enough, the initial amphibians start their journey for a partner around February 14th, but some move as late as spring, waiting until it gets dark and moving after sunset. During that time, toads start moving from where they have been overwintering "almost simultaneously."

One volunteer, who was raised in the region and has been trying to protect its amphibians since he was a boy, notes that "Their sole purpose: to go and mate." If their route crosses a street, they could all get run over, and that mating period would be lost – stopping a next generation of toads from being born.

Rescue Groups Throughout the UK

Finding hundreds of dead toads on local roads "inherently strikes a chord with people," and has resulted in the formation of rescue teams throughout the UK – 274 groups are currently registered with a countrywide program. These teams collect toads and transport them over streets in containers, as well as counting the number of toads they encounter and lobbying for other safety solutions, such as blocked roads and underground wildlife tunnels.

Volunteers tend to operate during the breeding period, when amphibian movements are frequent. However, this means they can miss numbers of young toads, which, having been spawn and then juveniles, exit their ponds over an irregular timetable in late summer. Because of their size – just one or two centimetres wide – "they can get obliterated by vehicles." And as being hit "essentially crushes them," it's harder to get data on them. At least when mature amphibians are lost, their remains can be tallied.

Year-Round Efforts

Unlike many groups, a specific volunteer group, who are in their eighth year of functioning, go out year-round – not every night, but when weather are damp, or if a member has posted about a amphibian spotting in their messaging app. When I request to accompany them on duty, they concede it is "not ideal conditions" – winter dormancy has started and it's been a dry day – but several of the volunteers gamely agree to patrol their area 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 14-year-old son and the experienced member. After for two hours without a glimpse of any amphibians, and now they have climbed over a barbed wire fence to inspect beneath some wood.

Community Involvement

The mother and son joined the group a year and a half ago. The youngster loves all things nature-related and has an goal to become a environmentalist, so his parent started to look for activities they could do together to help native animals. Now she enjoys 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 teenager, too, has been instrumental in the organization. A clip he made, imploring the municipal authority to block a road through a protected area during migration season, swung the decision the group's way. After a year of lobbying, the council agreed to an "restricted access" restriction between 5pm and 5am from February through to spring. Most drivers respected and avoided the route.

Other Wildlife and Difficulties

A few cars go by when I'm out on duty and we find some casualties as a consequence – no amphibians, but several crushed salamanders. We see one live amphibian as well, and the youngster is particularly pleased to see a daddy longlegs, which dances in his hands. Yet in spite of the team's hardest attempts to let me see a toad, the native community has clearly gone dormant for the colder months. It appears that I wouldn't have had any better success anywhere else in the country – all the patrol groups I reach out to explain that it's very difficult at this time of year.

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

A message I receive from a different helper, who has kindly taken the trouble to look for toads in a famous site, considered the biggest tracked toad group in the UK, arrives in my inbox with the title: "None found." However, in late winter, he informs me, the group plans to assist approximately 10,000 mature amphibians across the road.

Effectiveness and Limitations

How much of a difference can these groups actually make? "The fact that people are doing this regularly on cold, damp and unpleasant evenings is remarkable," says an researcher. "That's something that very much deserves recognition." However, while rescue teams are able to slow the decline, they cannot prevent it entirely – not least because traffic is not the only threat.

Additional Threats

The global warming has meant longer periods of drought, which cause the poor environment for some of the creatures that toads eat, such as invertebrates, while warmer ponds have led to an increase of toxic plants, which can be harmful to toads. Warmer cold seasons also cause toads to emerge from their hibernation more often, disrupting the energy conservation vital to their existence. Habitat destruction – especially the disappearance of large ponds – is an additional threat.

Researchers are "always a bit worried about overemphasizing practical benefits on biodiversity," however "It's important in just their presence." But toads do have an important role in the food chain, consuming almost any invertebrates or small animals they can swallow and in turn sustaining a number of predators, such as hedgehogs and otters. Enhancing conditions for toads – ie creating more ponds, conserving woodland and installing amphibian passages – "benefits for a wide range of other species."

Historical Significance

An additional motive to work to preserve toads present is their "historical significance," notes an specialist. Myths and folklore around toads go back {centuries|hundred