Volunteers help dozens of toads cross busy road

A volunteer group has helped dozens of toads, frogs and newts cross a busy road in Derbyshire.

Volunteers from the Derbyshire Amphibian and Reptile Group guided 58 toads and 19 frogs back to their breeding grounds across Repton Road in Willington on Tuesday.

The group of 23 volunteers, who are out "most nights" between March and April, have helped 1,454 toads, 645 frogs and 130 newts so far this year.

Volunteer Kevin Banton said: "Everyone who helps is very passionate about it and you do get quite a lovely feeling by helping these little things across the road."

Banton said the amphibians tend to cross when the sun sets.

"They usually start to cross when there's most traffic on the roads, so that is when we can really help," he said.

"Us being there gives them at least a chance of getting across the road without being run over.

"The majority of the drivers are very sympathetic towards what we do, and they tend to pull up to have a chat and have a look at the toads that we've got in our buckets ready to release in the water."

Amphibians are key to maintaining ecosystems.

Toads and frogs are predators to many insects and prey for bigger animals, while newts help to maintain balance by controlling pests.

Frogs can also signal problems with an environment due to their susceptibility to pollution.

With weather being "unpredictable", Banton said you can never estimate how many animals will need help crossing over the course of an evening.

"It's very difficult to judge because they're very sensitive to the temperature, and if the temperature drops below around seven or eight degrees, they don't move," he explained.

"When it gets a little warmer or it rains heavily, you can get a sudden rush of them. That is why being there most nights covers most options.

"Generally, we help around 2,000 toads a season. Some nights we can help as many as between 500 and 700 toads.

"I've been doing it for about 20 years now, so the hope is that we're managing to sustain the sort of numbers of toads as the roads have got busier."

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