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It is a Friday night 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 volunteers from a toad patrol. These dedicated individuals give up their nights to protect the native amphibian community.

An Alarming Drop in Population

The common toad is growing more uncommon. A latest research conducted by an amphibian and reptile charity showed that the British common toad numbers have almost halved since 1985. Seeing a creature that has been a stalwart of the British countryside in decline is described as "concerning" by experts. Toads "don't require very specific conditions" and "should be able to live successfully in the majority of habitats in the UK," meaning if even they are struggling to persist, "it kind of suggests that things are not as they should be."

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

The Threat from Roads

Though the research didn't cover the reasons for the drop, traffic is a major factor. Estimates indicate that 20 tons of toads are crushed on UK roads every year – that is, hundreds of thousands. Unlike frogs, which would probably be content to mate "if you left out 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 – sometimes 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.

Migration Habits

Appropriately enough, the first toads start their journey for a partner around February 14th, but others travel as far as April, until it gets night and moving through the night. During that time, toads begin migrating from wherever they have been overwintering "almost simultaneously."

A local helper, who was raised in the region and has been working to save its amphibians since he was a child, notes that "Their sole purpose: to go and mate." If their route happens to a street, they could all get run over, and that mating period would never happen – stopping a new generation of toads from being born.

Toad Patrols Across the UK

Finding hundreds of dead toads on local roads "resonates deeply with people," and has led to the formation of toad patrols throughout the UK – hundreds of organizations are officially listed with a countrywide program. These groups pick up toads and transport them over streets in buckets, as well as recording the number of toads they encounter and lobbying for other safety solutions, such as road closures and underground wildlife tunnels.

Patrols tend to operate during the breeding period, when toad crossings are more regular. However, this implies they can overlook numbers of young toads, which, having been eggs and then tadpoles, leave their water habitats over an unpredictable schedule in the end of summer. Because of their size – just a couple of cm wide – "they are destroyed by vehicles." And as being hit "essentially crushes them," it's harder to collect information on them. At least when adult toads are lost, their carcasses can be tallied.

Year-Round Efforts

In contrast to many groups, a specific volunteer group, who are in their eighth year of functioning, go out year-round – not every night, but when conditions are warm and wet, or if someone has reported about a amphibian spotting in their group chat. When I request to accompany them on patrol, they admit it is "not ideal conditions" – toad hibernation season has started and it's been a dry day – but several of the volunteers willingly accept to walk up and down their route with me and search for any toads. "Should anyone can locate any toads tonight, those two will find one," says the group coordinator, indicating her 14-year-old son and the longtime volunteer. We've been out for 120 minutes without a single toad sighting, and now they have climbed over a wire barrier to inspect beneath some wood.

Family Involvement

The family duo became part of the patrol a while back. The teenager loves all things wildlife and has an goal to become a conservationist, so his mother 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 looking for a new manager lately, she decided to step up.

The youth, too, has played an important role in the organization. A clip he made, urging the municipal authority to close a road through a nature reserve during migration season, influenced the outcome the team'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 road.

Other Wildlife and Difficulties

A few cars go past when I'm out on patrol and we discover some victims as a result – no toads, but three squashed newts. We see one living newt as well, and the teenager is especially excited to see a daddy longlegs, which dances in his hands. Yet in spite of the team's best efforts to show me a toad, the native community has obviously gone dormant for the colder months. It appears that I wouldn't have had any better success elsewhere in the nation – all the rescue teams I contact clarify 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 get from another volunteer, who has kindly taken the trouble to look for toads in a noted location, considered the largest accurately monitored toad group in the UK, arrives in my inbox with the subject line: "No toads." However, in late winter, he informs me, the team plans to assist around ten thousand mature amphibians over the street.

Effectiveness and Limitations

What level of impact can these groups actually make? "The fact that people are performing this regularly on cold, damp and unpleasant evenings is quite extraordinary," notes an researcher. "This effort that very much should be celebrated." However, while rescue teams are able to reduce the drop, they can't stop it completely – partly since traffic is not the only threat.

Other Dangers

The global warming has resulted in longer periods of dry weather, which cause the wrong conditions for some of the creatures that toads consume, such as invertebrates, while warmer ponds have led to an rise of toxic plants, which can be toxic to toads. Warmer cold seasons also cause toads to emerge from their dormancy more often, disrupting the resource preservation vital to their existence. Habitat destruction – especially the loss of large ponds – is another menace.

Experts are "often concerned about overemphasizing practical benefits on wildlife," however "There is a big value in just their presence." But toads do have an important role in the food chain, eating pretty much any invertebrates or small animals they can fit in their mouths and in turn feeding a variety of birds and mammals, such as hedgehogs and otters. Enhancing conditions for toads – such as building water habitats, protecting forests and constructing amphibian passages – "benefits for a whole bunch of other species."

Historical Significance

Another reason to work to preserve toads around is their "important cultural value," adds an specialist. Legends and tales around toads date back {centuries|hundred