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It is a Friday evening at half past seven, but rather than going out or watching a film, I've taken a train to a town in Wiltshire to join volunteers from a toad patrol. These dedicated individuals give up their evenings to protect the native amphibian community.

An Alarming Drop in Numbers

The common toad is growing more rare. A recent research led by an amphibian and reptile charity revealed that the British common toad numbers have dropped by half since 1985. Observing a creature that has been a fixture of the British countryside in decrease is labeled "worrying" by experts. Toads "don't need very particular environments" and "should be able to live quite well in most of areas in Britain," so 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 research didn't cover the causes for the decline, cars certainly plays a part. Estimates indicate that 20 tonnes of toads are killed on UK roads annually – in other words, several hundred thousand. Unlike frogs, which would probably be content to mate "with just a bucket of water," toads prefer big bodies of water. Their ability to remain away from water for more time than frogs allows they can journey farther to reach them – often hundreds of metres. They usually stick to their ancestral migration routes – it's common for mature amphibians to return to their natal pond to mate.

Breeding Habits

Fittingly, the first toads begin their quest for a partner around February 14th, but some move as far as April, waiting until it gets dark and travelling through the night. During that time, toads start moving from wherever they have been hibernating "almost simultaneously."

One volunteer, who grew up in the area and has been working to save its amphibians since he was a boy, notes that "They've got just one focus: to go and mate." If their route happens to a road, they could all get run over, and that mating period would be lost – preventing a next generation of toads from being produced.

Rescue Groups Across 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 officially listed with a national initiative. These teams pick up toads and carry them across roads in buckets, as well as recording the quantity of toads they find and lobbying for other protection measures, such as blocked roads and underground wildlife tunnels.

Patrols usually work during the migration season, when amphibian movements are more regular. However, this means they can miss numbers of young toads, which, having existed as eggs and then juveniles, leave their ponds over an irregular timetable in late summer. Because of their small stature – just a couple of cm 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 adult toads are lost, their carcasses can be tallied.

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 whenever weather are damp, or if someone has reported about a amphibian spotting in their group chat. When I ask to join them on patrol, they concede it is "not a toady night" – winter dormancy has started and it's been a arid period – but several of the helpers gamely agree to patrol their area with me and see what we can find. "If anyone can locate any toads tonight, those two will find one," says the group coordinator, indicating her 14-year-old son and the experienced member. We've been out for 120 minutes without a glimpse of any amphibians, and now they have climbed over a wire barrier to check under some logs.

Family Involvement

The mother and son became part of 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 search for things they could do jointly to protect 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 fresh coordinator lately, she decided to step up.

The teenager, too, has played an important role in the organization. A video he created, urging the local council to close a road through a protected area during breeding time, swung the decision the group's way. After a year of campaigning, the authority agreed to an "access-only" rule between evening and morning from late winter through to spring. Most drivers duly avoided the route.

Other Wildlife and Difficulties

A few cars go past when I'm out on duty and we discover some casualties as a result – no toads, but three squashed newts. We see one live amphibian as well, and the teenager is particularly pleased to see a harvestman, which moves in his palms. Yet in spite of the group's best efforts to show me a toad, the native community has clearly gone dormant for the winter. It appears that I wouldn't have had any better success elsewhere in the nation – all the patrol groups I contact clarify 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 kindly made the effort to check for toads in a noted location, considered the biggest tracked toad population in the UK, reaches me with the title: "None found." However, in February and March, he informs me, the group plans to assist around 10,000 mature amphibians across the road.

Impact and Challenges

What level of impact can these groups actually make? "The fact that volunteers are doing this consistently on cold, damp and unpleasant evenings is remarkable," notes an expert. "This effort that very much should be celebrated." However, while toad patrols are able to slow the decline, they can't stop it completely – not least because vehicles is just one danger.

Other Dangers

The global warming has meant longer periods of dry weather, which cause the wrong conditions for some of the creatures that toads consume, such as worms and slugs, while warmer ponds have led to an rise of blue-green algae, which can be harmful to toads. Milder winters also cause toads to emerge from their dormancy more frequently, interfering with the resource preservation vital to their existence. Habitat destruction – particularly the loss of big water bodies – is another menace.

Researchers are "often concerned about overemphasizing practical benefits on biodiversity," however "It's important 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 feeding a variety of birds and mammals, such as wildlife. Improving conditions for toads – ie building water habitats, conserving woodland and constructing toad tunnels – "benefits for a wide range of other species."

Cultural Importance

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