However, over the past few years with changing weather patterns and drier winters the ponds are not filling up properly over winter.” “Rare and protected natterjacks live in the sand dunes, spawning in shallow freshwater pools, fed by rainwater and runoff from surrounding land, and where pools are warmed by the sun. Rare natterjack toads have been struggling due to changing weather patterns, with populations devastated.Įmily Lake, who looks after the toads at the Cheshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Changing weather patterns and lack of rain means we are seriously worried for the long-term survival of the natterjack toad colony at Red Rocks nature reserve on the Wirral. We think that the variable climate patterns, with warmer winters but then cold well into the spring months, when they would migrate to the ponds, is having an impact on their behaviour patterns.” “We have noticed a steady increase in low numbers being reported by the public over the past few years. We are also getting reports from our toad patrollers of lower numbers migrating, but we will not know for definite until later in the year when we have all of their data. Kathy Wormald, the chief executive of the amphibian charity Froglife, told the Guardian: “We are receiving a lot of reports of no amphibians – frogs, toads and newts.
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