Wildlife

Wild Amphibian Road Crossing Seasons

Seasonal amphibian migrations to breeding ponds cross roads in large numbers, and volunteer bucket brigades and permanent tunnels save thousands of lives.

Key Facts

Common toad, frog and newt migrations occur on warm wet nights in late winter
Road casualties during migration are a significant amphibian mortality driver
Toad patrols by volunteers have rescued millions of toads over decades
Permanent road tunnels and drift fencing are more effective than patrol alone
Amphibian population declines make migration road mortality increasingly serious

Welfare Considerations

Road mortality during amphibian migration causes direct suffering in struck individuals and population-level impacts on declining species. Volunteer patrols are a direct welfare intervention rescuing individual animals from painful death. Both short-term patrols and long-term engineering solutions are needed.

What You Can Do

Join your local amphibian patrol group during late winter migration
Report busy amphibian crossing points to your local highway authority
Support funding for permanent amphibian tunnels on key crossing routes