Will Britain's Toads Be Saved from Traffic and Population Collapse?

It is Friday evening 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 meet up with local helpers from a toad patrol. These committed people give up their evenings to protect the local toad population.

An Alarming Decline in Numbers

The Bufo bufo is becoming increasingly uncommon. A latest research led by an amphibian and reptile charity showed that the UK toad population have almost halved since 1985. Observing a species that has been a fixture of the UK landscape in decrease is labeled "concerning" by researchers. Toads "don't require very specific conditions" and "should be able to live quite well in the majority of areas in Britain," meaning if even they are not managing to survive, "it kind of suggests that the ecosystem is unbalanced."

The UK toad population has almost halved since 1985

The Danger from Traffic

Though the research didn't examine the reasons for the decline, traffic certainly plays a part. Estimates indicate that 20 tons of toads are crushed on British roads every year – that is, several hundred thousand. In contrast to frogs, which might be content to mate "with just a small container," toads prefer large ponds. Their ability to remain away from water for longer than frogs allows they can travel further to find them – often long distances. They usually follow their traditional paths – it's common for adult toads to go back to their natal pond to mate.

Breeding Habits

Fittingly, the first toads start their journey for a partner around Valentine's day, but some move as far as spring, until it gets night and travelling through the night. During that period, toads begin migrating from wherever they have been overwintering "all pretty much at the same time."

One volunteer, who grew up in the region and has been trying to protect its toad population since he was a child, notes that "Their sole purpose: to go and mate." If their route crosses a road, they could be killed by traffic, and that mating period would never happen – preventing a new generation of toads from being produced.

Toad Patrols Throughout the UK

Seeing many of dead toads on local roads "inherently strikes a chord with people," and has led to the formation of toad patrols across the UK – hundreds of organizations are currently registered with a countrywide program. These groups collect toads and carry them over streets in containers, as well as recording the number of toads they find and advocating for other safety solutions, such as blocked roads and underground wildlife tunnels.

Patrols tend to operate during the migration season, when amphibian movements are frequent. However, this implies they can overlook groups of young toads, which, having been spawn and then juveniles, exit their water habitats over an unpredictable schedule in the end of summer. Because of their small stature – just one or two centimetres wide – "they are destroyed by car traffic." And as being run over "basically turns them into mush," it's more difficult to get data on them. At least when adult toads are killed, their remains can be counted.

Year-Round Work

In contrast to most patrols, a specific volunteer group, who are in their eighth season of operating, go out throughout the year – not nightly, but when weather are damp, or if a member has reported about a amphibian spotting in their group chat. When I request to accompany them on patrol, they admit it is "not a toady night" – winter dormancy has started and it's been a arid period – but a few of the helpers gamely agree to patrol their route with me and search for any toads. "If anyone can find any toads tonight, that pair will find one," says the group coordinator, pointing to her teenage child and the longtime volunteer. After for 120 minutes without a glimpse of any amphibians, and now they have scaled a wire barrier to check under some logs.

Family Involvement

The mother and son joined the patrol a year and a half ago. The teenager loves all things wildlife and has an ambition to become a environmentalist, so his parent started to look for activities they could do jointly to protect native animals. Now she enjoys it as much as he does, the 41-year-old small business owner explains – so when the team was seeking a new manager lately, she volunteered for the role.

The youth, too, has played an important role in the organization. A video he created, urging the local council to close a street through a nature reserve during migration season, influenced the outcome the group's way. After a twelve months of campaigning, the authority agreed to an "access-only" rule between 5pm and 5am from February through to April. Most drivers duly avoided the route.

Other Wildlife and Difficulties

A few vehicles go by when I'm out on duty and we discover some victims as a result – no amphibians, but three squashed newts. We see one living newt as well, and the teenager is particularly pleased to see a daddy longlegs, which moves in his palms. Yet despite the team's best efforts to let me see a toad, the native community has clearly gone dormant for the winter. It appears that I couldn't have found any more luck elsewhere in the country – all the rescue teams I reach out to explain that it's very difficult at this season.

They project rescuing nearly 10,000 grown amphibians during migration

A message I receive from a different helper, who has generously made the effort to check for toads in a famous site, thought to be the largest accurately monitored toad population in the UK, reaches me with the title: "None found." However, in February and March, he informs me, the group expects to help approximately 10,000 mature amphibians across the road.

Effectiveness and Challenges

How much of a difference can these organizations actually make? "The fact that people are performing 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 – partly since traffic is not the only threat.

Additional Threats

The climate crisis has meant extended spells of dry weather, which create the poor environment for some of the animals that toads eat, such as worms and slugs, while warmer ponds have led to an increase of toxic plants, which can be harmful to toads. Milder winters also cause toads to emerge from their hibernation more frequently, disrupting the resource preservation crucial to their life cycle. 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 having these animals around." But toads play an important role in the food chain, consuming pretty much any invertebrates or tiny organisms they can swallow and in turn sustaining a number of birds and mammals, such as hedgehogs and otters. Improving conditions for toads – ie building water habitats, conserving woodland and installing toad tunnels – "benefits for a wide range of additional wildlife."

Historical Importance

Another reason to try to keep toads around is their "historical significance," adds an expert. Myths and folklore around toads date back {centuries|hundred