In view of the mild temperatures, the first toads, newts and other amphibians have migrated back to their mating waters in Bavaria. Individual animals have already been on the move in some places, said species protection expert Uwe Friedel from the Bund Naturschutz (BN) in Nuremberg. However, it is currently too cold at night again.
With nightly temperatures of at least 5 degrees and damp weather, frogs, toads, newts and salamanders make the often dangerous journey to the spawning grounds. Thousands are killed on roads every year. Experts expect the amphibian migration to peak in one to three weeks. In warmer regions like the Main region things start earlier and later at higher altitudes, said Friedel.
To ensure that as many of the protected animals as possible survive the journey, thousands of volunteers are building protective fences along roads in Bavaria. The BN and local groups are therefore again looking for helpers to count the amphibians and carry them across the street. In Nuremberg, for example, the nature conservationists still need help to erect the fences around the dozen pond on March 4th.
The counting campaign also gives the BN important information on the development of the population every year. Fewer and fewer animals have migrated in the past four years, Friedel said. This is partly due to the bad hiking weather. There was a cold snap last March. The dry summers, in which amphibians find less food, are also partly to blame. “We have a decline in common toads year after year,” Friedel said. This is the most common amphibian species in Bavaria. The situation is even worse for the second most common species, the common frog.