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It is Friday evening at half past seven, but instead of heading to the pub or watching a film, I've taken a train to a market town in Wiltshire to join volunteers from a toad patrol. These committed people give up their nights to protect the local toad population.

A Worrying Decline in Numbers

The common toad is becoming increasingly uncommon. A latest study led by an wildlife conservation group revealed that the British common toad numbers have dropped by half since the mid-1980s. Observing a creature that has been a stalwart of the British countryside in decrease is described as "worrying" by experts. Toads "don't need very particular environments" and "ought to live successfully in the majority of areas in Britain," meaning if even they are struggling to persist, "it indicates that things are not as they should be."

The UK toad population has almost halved since 1985

The Threat from Roads

Though the research didn't cover the reasons for the decline, cars is a major factor. Estimates suggest that 20 tonnes of toads are crushed on British roads annually – that is, hundreds of thousands. Unlike frogs, which would probably be happy to mate "if you left out a bucket of water," toads prefer big bodies of water. Their ability to stay out of water for longer than frogs allows they can journey farther to find them – often long distances. They tend to follow their traditional paths – it's common for mature amphibians to return to their birth pond to mate.

Migration Patterns

Fittingly, the initial amphibians start their journey for a mate around Valentine's day, but some move as far as spring, waiting until it gets dark and travelling after sunset. During that time, toads start moving from where they have been overwintering "almost simultaneously."

One volunteer, who was raised 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 mate." If their path crosses a street, they could all get run over, and that breeding season would be lost – stopping a next generation of toads from being produced.

Toad Patrols Throughout the United Kingdom

Finding many of toad carcasses on nearby streets "inherently strikes a chord with people," and has led to the formation of toad patrols across the UK – 274 groups are currently registered with a countrywide program. These teams pick up toads and transport them across roads in buckets, as well as recording the number of toads they find and lobbying for other safety solutions, such as road closures and underground wildlife tunnels.

Patrols usually work during the migration season, when amphibian movements are more regular. However, this implies they can miss groups of young toads, which, having been spawn and then tadpoles, exit their ponds over an unpredictable schedule in late summer. Because of their small stature – just one or two centimetres wide – "they are destroyed by vehicles." And as being hit "basically turns them into mush," it's more difficult to get data on them. At least when adult toads are killed, their carcasses can be tallied.

Year-Round Efforts

Unlike most patrols, one local team, who are in their eighth year of functioning, go out throughout the year – not nightly, but whenever weather are warm and wet, or if someone has posted about a amphibian spotting in their messaging app. When I request to accompany them on patrol, they concede it is "not ideal conditions" – winter dormancy has started and it's been a dry day – but several of the helpers gamely agree to walk up and down their area with me and search for any toads. "If anyone can find any toads tonight, those two will spot one," says the group coordinator, pointing to her 14-year-old son and the experienced member. We've been out for two hours without a glimpse of any amphibians, and now they have scaled a barbed wire fence to inspect beneath some logs.

Family Involvement

The family duo became part of the patrol a while back. The youngster loves all things wildlife and has an goal to become a conservationist, so his parent started to look for activities they could do together to protect native animals. Now she enjoys it as much as he does, the middle-aged entrepreneur tells me – so when the group was seeking a fresh coordinator lately, she decided to step up.

The teenager, too, has been instrumental in the group. A video he made, urging the local council to close a road through a nature reserve during migration season, influenced the outcome the team's way. After a twelve months of lobbying, the authority agreed to an "restricted access" rule between 5pm and 5am from late winter through to April. Most drivers respected and avoided the route.

Additional Species and Challenges

A few vehicles go past when I'm out on duty and we find some victims as a result – no toads, but several crushed salamanders. We spot one live amphibian as well, and the teenager is particularly pleased to see a harvestman, which moves in his palms. Yet despite the group's best efforts to show me a toad, the native community has clearly gone dormant for the winter. It seems that I couldn't have found any more luck anywhere else in the nation – all the rescue teams I contact clarify that it's near-impossible at this season.

This team anticipates assisting around ten thousand mature toads over the street

One email I get from another volunteer, who has generously taken the trouble to check for toads in a noted location, considered the biggest tracked toad group in the UK, arrives in my inbox with the title: "No toads." However, in February and March, he tells me, the team expects to help around 10,000 mature amphibians over the street.

Effectiveness and Challenges

How much of a difference can these organizations actually make? "The reality that volunteers are doing this consistently on chilly, wet and miserable late nights is remarkable," says an expert. "That's something that very much deserves recognition." However, while toad patrols are able to slow the decline, they cannot prevent it entirely – not least because traffic is just one danger.

Other Dangers

The global warming has meant extended spells of dry weather, which create the poor environment for some of the animals that toads eat, such as invertebrates, while warmer ponds have led to an rise of toxic plants, which can be harmful to toads. Milder winters also cause toads to emerge from their hibernation more often, disrupting the energy conservation crucial to their life cycle. Habitat destruction – particularly the loss of big water bodies – is another menace.

Researchers are "always a bit worried about overemphasizing practical benefits on wildlife," but "There is a big value in just their presence." But toads do have an significant part in the food chain, consuming almost any invertebrates or tiny organisms they can swallow and in turn feeding a variety of predators, such as hedgehogs and otters. Enhancing conditions for toads – ie building water habitats, protecting forests and installing amphibian passages – "we'll improve them for a wide range of additional wildlife."

Historical Significance

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