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It's Friday evening at half past seven, but rather than heading to the pub or relaxing at home, I've taken a train to a town in Wiltshire to meet up with local helpers from a toad patrol. These committed people sacrifice their nights to protect the local toad population.

A Worrying Decline in Numbers

The common toad is growing more rare. A latest research led by an amphibian and reptile charity showed that the British common toad numbers have almost halved since 1985. Observing a creature that has been a stalwart of the UK landscape in decrease is described as "concerning" by researchers. Toads "don't need very specific conditions" and "should be able to live quite well in most of areas in the UK," so if even they are struggling to persist, "it indicates that things are not as they should be."

Toad populations across the UK have declined by almost 50% since the 1980s

The Threat from Roads

Though the study didn't examine the causes for the decline, cars certainly plays a part. Estimates suggest that 20 tonnes of toads are killed on UK roads every year – that is, hundreds of thousands. In contrast to frogs, which might be happy to mate "with just a bucket of water," toads prefer large ponds. Their ability to stay out of water for more time than frogs allows they can journey farther to reach them – often long distances. They usually follow their ancestral migration routes – it's common for mature amphibians to go back to their natal pond to mate.

Migration Habits

Fittingly, the first toads begin their quest for a partner around February 14th, but others travel as far as spring, until it gets dark and moving after sunset. During that time, toads begin migrating from where they have been overwintering "all pretty much at the same time."

One volunteer, who grew up in the area and has been working to save its toad population since he was a child, notes that "They've got just one focus: to go and have an orgy." If their path crosses a road, they could all get run over, and that breeding season would be lost – stopping a next generation of toads from being born.

Rescue Groups Throughout the United Kingdom

Finding many of toad carcasses on nearby streets "inherently strikes a chord with people," and has resulted in the formation of rescue teams throughout the UK – 274 groups are officially listed with a national initiative. These groups pick up toads and transport them across roads in containers, as well as recording the quantity of toads they find and lobbying for other safety solutions, such as road closures and amphibian passages.

Volunteers tend to operate during the breeding period, when toad crossings are frequent. However, this means they can overlook numbers of toadlets, which, having existed as spawn and then tadpoles, leave their water habitats over an irregular timetable in the end of summer. Because of their small stature – just a couple of cm wide – "they can get obliterated by car traffic." And as being run over "basically turns them into mush," it's harder to collect information on them. At least when adult toads are killed, their remains can be counted.

Annual Efforts

In contrast to many groups, one local team, who are in their eighth season of operating, go out throughout the year – not every night, but whenever conditions are warm and wet, or if a member has reported about a amphibian spotting in their group chat. When I ask to join them on duty, they admit it is "not a toady night" – winter dormancy has started and it's been a dry day – but several of the helpers gamely agree to walk up and down their route with me and search for any toads. "If anyone can find any toads tonight, those two will spot 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.

Community Participation

The mother and son joined the patrol a while back. The youngster loves all things wildlife and has an ambition to become a environmentalist, so his parent started to search for things they could do together to help native animals. Now she loves it as much as he does, the 41-year-old small business owner explains – so when the group was looking for a new manager recently, she decided to step up.

The teenager, too, has played an important role in the group. A clip he made, urging the local council to close a road through a nature reserve during migration season, swung the decision the team's way. After a year of lobbying, the authority agreed to an "access-only" restriction between 5pm and 5am from late winter through to spring. Most drivers respected and avoided the route.

Other Wildlife and Difficulties

A few vehicles go past when I'm out on duty and we find some victims as a result – no amphibians, but several crushed salamanders. We see one live amphibian as well, and the youngster is especially excited to see a harvestman, which dances in his palms. Yet despite the group's hardest attempts to let me see a toad, the local population has clearly settled down for the winter. It appears that I couldn't have found any better success anywhere else in the country – all the patrol groups I reach out to explain that it's near-impossible at this time of year.

The group expects to help approximately 10,000 adult toads across the road

A message I get from another volunteer, who has kindly made the effort to look for toads in a noted location, thought to be the largest accurately monitored toad population in the UK, reaches me with the title: "No toads." However, in late winter, he informs me, the group plans to assist around 10,000 adult toads over the street.

Effectiveness and Challenges

How much of a difference can these groups actually make? "The reality that people are performing this consistently 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 – partly since traffic is just one danger.

Additional Threats

The global warming has meant extended spells of dry weather, which cause the wrong conditions for some of the animals that toads consume, such as worms and slugs, while warmer ponds have caused an increase of blue-green algae, which can be harmful to toads. Milder winters also cause toads to emerge from their hibernation more frequently, disrupting the energy conservation vital to their life cycle. Habitat destruction – particularly the disappearance of large ponds – is an additional threat.

Experts are "often concerned about putting too much of a utilitarian spin on biodiversity," however "There is a big value in just having these animals around." But toads do have an significant part in the food chain, consuming pretty much any small creatures 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 creating more ponds, protecting forests and installing amphibian passages – "benefits for a wide range of other species."

Cultural Importance

Another reason to try to keep toads present is their "historical significance," notes an specialist. Legends and tales around toads go back {centuries|hundred