Wildlife

Wild Common Toad Disease and Welfare Monitoring

Common toads are declining partly due to disease, particularly ranavirus. Monitoring and responding to disease events is an important component of toad welfare.

Key Facts

Ranavirus kills toads rapidly through haemorrhagic disease
Disease events tend to recur at the same breeding ponds each year
UK toad populations have declined by 68% since 1985
Garden ponds with clean, cool water tend to have lower disease pressure

Welfare Considerations

Ranavirus events represent acute welfare crises for toad populations. Minimising human activity near ponds during outbreaks reduces stress and prevents disease spread between sites. Reporting events enables surveillance.

What You Can Do

Report disease events to ARC's Disease Monitoring Programme
Avoid moving water between ponds to prevent disease spread
Support Froglife's toad conservation and monitoring programmes