It seems to have been a really bad year for toads and frogs in this area: they initially came out of hibernation much later than usual, and just as I was decrying the inhumanity of mankind when it came to the treatment of these creatures, regarding the numbers killed on the roads, they all suddenly disappeared. Usually the road kills can number into the hundreds, but this year there were only around 50 over a few nights. Frog spawn has been scarce for a few years now, with less and less appearing along the ditches - usually I gather it and transfer it to a pond where it stands a chance of survival, but this year there was not a single patch along the ditches and none in the ponds. Asking around people in the area, it seems that this has been the case in their ponds as well, with both frogs and toads fairing badly. There has been a massive decline over the decades in both of these species, and it seems that this unusually cold winter has been devastating for them in this area. I can only hope that they will recover.
The photo is of one that was sadly killed on the road - it looks as though it was praying, and perhaps if toads can pray, it was asking the Gods to make mankind more considerate of others on this planet.
The photo is of one that was sadly killed on the road - it looks as though it was praying, and perhaps if toads can pray, it was asking the Gods to make mankind more considerate of others on this planet.
I think you're right Kerry; the cold winter has had a devastating effect on them this year.
ReplyDeleteI had loads of tiny frogs in my small pond last year, but this year I've only seen one.
Hello Kerry
ReplyDeletethanks for the comments on my blog.
Phantastic photos for you.
best regards from germany
Uwe Skrzypczak