Toad Watch

We’ve received over 400 records of toads, toad crossings and toadlets in Essex, a fantastic number that is helping us to build on our knowledge and records of toad hotspots, breeding sites and potential toad crossings within the county.

Despite their name, the common toad is becoming increasingly uncommon in our landscape, as a study by Froglife showed they have declined by 68% over the last three decades, therefore the recordings provide vital knowledge for us.

Essex Wildlife Trust needs your help to record where Essex’s toads and toad networks are.

Warty and wide-eyed, the common toad has suffered from ancient associations with witches, but now suffers from our ever-built up society, with busy roads and developments affecting their annual migration paths. In some areas over a thousand toads can cross the same route – emerging from their hibernation sites in spring to visit their ancestral pond to lay their spawn.

Common toads can live anywhere from 4 up to 40 years old if the conditions are right and when they’re not crossing roads they’re a gardener’s best friend, sucking up slugs and snails throughout the summer months. But recent research by Froglife showed a decline in toads by 68% over the past 3 decades, so they desperately need our help.

We need to connect our patchwork landscape with wildlife corridors and stepping stones, forming a Nature Recovery Network for wildlife. As Essex becomes increasingly developed and paved-over, we must determine where the toads and toad crossing are in Essex, to stop them from losing their precious networks.