A common toad (Bufo bufo). Picture: Pete Hughes
Living near a pond? Watch out for amphibians crossing the road!
A frog in a garden pond dug during the coronavirus lockdown by Helen Touchard-Paxton - winner of the Team Wilder category in the BBOWT Photography Competition 2022.
Each year, large numbers of amphibians—including the common toad, common frog, great crested newt, smooth newt, and palmate newt—die while making their way from hibernation sites to breeding ponds. Agni from the Buckinghamshire Amphibian and Reptile Group (BARG) explains what we can do to help them.
Amphibians begin their journeys from their winter shelters as early as January, depending on weather conditions, and continue into early spring. Mass migrations, particularly of toads, typically occur on mild, wet nights when temperatures reach around 5°C or higher.
According to Froglife, the UK’s common toad population has declined by approximately 68% over the last 30 years. One of the primary reasons for this decline is habitat fragmentation.
Toads are loyal to their ancestral breeding ponds, returning year after year—even if roads and developments have been built along the way. Whether on busy roads or quiet country lanes, these amphibians will attempt to cross in order to reach their breeding sites.
Unfortunately, many of them don’t make it. Even if they manage to avoid being hit by a vehicle, they often struggle to climb kerbs and end up getting stuck, eventually falling into a gully pot where they may die.
Buckinghamshire Amphibians and Reptiles Group
By offering a helping hand to these amphibians and assisting them across roads, you can play an important role in slowing down local declines and helping prevent their extinction. Toad patrolling is a rewarding, hands-on way to contribute, and you can find more information about how to get involved here.
Bucks ARG, a small voluntary group affiliated with Amphibian and Reptile Groups UK, works in partnership with the Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Environmental Records Centre (BMERC). The group conducts seasonal surveys, including toad patrols and amphibian/reptile monitoring, with all records shared with BMERC and ARG UK. These efforts are vital in tracking amphibian movements and monitoring populations.
Newt and lillipad by the Buckinghamshire Amphibian and Reptiles Group
Bucks ARG welcomes sightings of amphibians crossing roads or found dead on roads. If you spot any amphibians or reptiles in your area, please contact the group to share your records or head add your sightings to the Record Pool on the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation's website.
If you're interested in joining surveys or setting up a toad patrol in your area, get in touch at bucksrag@gmail.com. Your help in gathering this data is invaluable and greatly appreciated!
You can find toad patrols in Berkshire and Oxfordshire here.