Why did these toads cross the road?

...to get to the other side of course!

More than 3,000 toads, frogs and newts have been helped to cross a busy road in Bath to safely reach their breeding lake.

Around 50 volunteers from the Charlcombe Toad Rescue Group have been helping thousands of amphibians during the busy spring migration season.

They spent more than 600 hours in hi-vis jackets, armed with torches and buckets walking slowly up and down the road to make sure no one was left behind.

The 2026 patrol saw the third highest number of amphibians crossing since the road closure started in 2003.

This year was the best for toads (1,547) since 2012, the second best for palmate newts (1,015) and the fourth best for frogs (1,064) since the patrols began.

As the weather starts to warm up in the UK, toads across the country begin to make their way from the woodlands, back to ponds to breed during the spring months.

They follow the same route every year and most make their journey over March and April. But, their journeys can be dangerous if they have to get across busy roads.

There are some places that close roads to help keep the amphibians safe, but other places have volunteers carrying out 'Toad Patrols'.

That's where volunteers help them across the road with buckets and nets.

Volunteer Jonathan Lidster said: "The annual toad migration is one of the highlights of the year, both for the toads and the Charlcombe Toad Patrol volunteers.

"They probably don't appreciate it, but for me it's hugely rewarding to help the toads, frogs and newts on their way to the lake each year and just walking up and down the dark lane with a bucket and torch in the company of my fellow patrollers is a pleasure.

"An added bonus are the owls and the bats along with other hidden rustling nature. We never want it to end."

1. There are two native species of toad that can be found in the UK - the common toad and the natterjack toad.

2. British toads are usually larger than frogs and have dry, rough and bumpy skin.

3. They also have much shorter and less powerful legs than frogs, and therefore prefer to crawl around, rather than hop.

4. Both common toads and natterjack toads are mainly nocturnal - meaning they are most active at night.

5. Natterjack toads are known as the UK's loudest amphibian as their calls can be heard up to a mile away.