Archives for 2014

Free Amphibian Training In Sheffield!

March 7, 2014 by Admin

Froglife’s Sheffield Living Waters Project is running a series of free training courses this year.

Aimed at volunteers and enthusiasts, the first confirmed course is “Amphibian Identification and Survey techniques”, which also includes habitat management tips.

Date: The first one is coming up fast on Tuesday the 11^th of March 2014

Location: Ecclesall Woods, Sawmill, Sheffield, S7 2QZ

Start time: 11:30 – Finish time 18:30/18:45

What to bring: Bring a packed lunch, waterproofs and wellies, layers are recommended, a head torch if you have one, plus pen and paper.

Likely species: the site supports newts, frogs and toad species, so we have a chance of seeing any of these if the survey conditions are right.

Spaces: limited to 12. Please email by Monday the 10^th at 3pm.

To book your place: book your free place by emailing Nathan on Nathan.Coughlan@froglife.org.

Finding out what's in the net... — Finding out what’s in the net…

Sita Trust logo

Last chance: Share your frog thoughts & enter our prize draw

March 5, 2014 by Admin

Froglife’s national survey about perceptions of amphibians and reptiles is coming to an end on the 14^th of March. We are asking people what they think about snakes, newts, frogs, lizards and toads as part of a project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund to investigate how the animals are viewed. We would love to know your thoughts about wildlife and charity, and you can find the online survey here.

Questions include your favourite animals and thoughts about wildlife conservation, your opinions on amphibians and reptiles, a bit of an ID quiz as well as about the charitable causes closest to your heart.

We’re not looking for right or wrong answers; we’re really interested in honest responses to help us get a better understanding of the challenges we face when talking about our work. You can find out more about the aims of The Scale of the Problem project here.

Through taking part, you can also enter a prize draw to win over £50 worth of goodies from the Froglife online shop, with a prize for over 18s and under 18s who take part.

Under 18s prize — *The prize for under 18s includes a cuddly frog, pond dipping kit and frog back pack from the online shop*

The results so far have been really interesting, with Hedgehogs the most popular answer to the favourite animal question. 95% of the respondents so far have seen a frog in the wild in the UK, compared to 64% having seen a snake. We are also hearing, perhaps unsurprisingly, that many people are affected by financial concerns when choosing to support charities, and have cut back donations. All of the information we gather through the survey will be analysed by marketing experts Emerald Frog to help us strengthen our fundraising and campaigning techniques, enabling us to better support amphibians and reptiles into the future.

It would be wonderful if you could take the time to share your thoughts and experiences before the 14^th of March, to help shape the future of Froglife’s communications and campaigns. Thank you!

Croaking Science: How did the toad cross the road?

February 26, 2014 by Admin

Public Engagement Officer, Sivi Sivanesan, looks at a 2001 study which investigated the effect of road kills on amphibian populations.

The diurnal movement of newts, frogs and toads move was studied by a team in Denmark. They investigated two questions:

1. What was the probability of an individual amphibian getting killed when crossing the road?
2. For a known population, what fraction of the amphibian’s population were killed by traffic?

They found that the probability for amphibians being killed on a road with a traffic load of 3,207 motorised vehicles /day, ranged from 0.34-0.61, increasing to 0.89-0.98 when crossing a motorway (0 = no probability of death to 1 = 100% probability of death).

They state that their figures should be considered as the minimum probability given that their calculations were on based on perpendicular crossing patterns, while angular crossing patterns resulted in an increased risk of being hit, and the subsequent risk of injury and death.

The study results indicated that the percentage reproductively active adults lost annually was up to 25% of Pelobates fuscus and up to 21% of Rana temporaria/R.arvalis.

There were a number of points made in the paper:

Activity patterns for the site in Denmark showed movement variation at the species level. The frog species were active soon after sunset (sunset was between 8-9pm over the course of the study); most common toads were active between 10pm and 11pm and the newt species tended to peak later still, from around midnight to 2am.
They noted that road mortality may be more frequent in juveniles in the populations as they are slower movers.
Their calculations were based on motorised vehicles and the chance of being hit by the wheel (even a partial hit). I, and other patrollers, have witnessed toads killed in the same manor by non-motorised vehicles such as bicycles on roads and bridleways.

There are some interesting implications in this study.

If amphibian species at different British sites were to show a marked preference for the time of day/night they travelled, as did the species at the study site, then some species at patrol sites may be missed if patrols are operating at a different time.
It highlights the need for pre-emptive road designs that maintain habitat connectivity in areas that already have evidence of a lot of established migration routes.
Pre-emptive designs also need to be considered when sustainable urban drainage systems, such as balancing ponds, are planned close to roads. On some sites, this newly created habitat has been shown to attract amphibians to cross over existing/new roads, thus creating new areas of amphibian mortality.
Long term solutions may include installing wildlife tunnels as standard on all new roads or road redevelopment schemes. However this solution would only work if they were based on the latest scientific research into wildlife tunnel design and frequency.
Where tunnels are installed or proposed, the management agencies must also incorporate proper maintenance levels to keep tunnels clear and active for amphibians.
In addition to the above, better designs of curb side drainage needs to be implemented on sites with amphibian migrations across roads, to stop animals falling in and dying in the drains.

These are problems that need to be addressed now as our road usage by all vehicles (motorised + peddle) is likely to continue to increase as both urban and rural areas are under increased pressure to absorb more development to accommodate increases in local populations and for economic stimulus.

What you can do:

Volunteer with your nearest toad patrol – use the new interactive map to find your nearest patrol.
The Traffic counts website tells you the traffic load per day/year for some of the roads in the UK – all major roads and some minor roads. Interesting links for those interested in this study and the traffic loads near patrol sites near (only available for some roads, but may give you an indication of the traffic loads near you.

Reference:

Hels, T. And Buchwald, E. 2001. The effect of road kills on amphibian populations. (In) Proceedings of the 2001 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, Eds. Irwin, C.L., Garrett, P. And McDermott, M.P. Centre for Transport and the Environment. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC: pp 25-42. [Accessed online, December 2013].

Inspired by Nature: Sonnets

February 24, 2014 by Admin

Inspired by Nature is a new themed Croak to entertain you with some of my own and my favourite famous poems written about nature and the outdoors. I hope it will stimulate you to get creative with words and write something yourself. If you do and would like to share them with us, please post them on our facebook page.

Becca (Conservation Youth Worker: Green Pathways Project).

I recently went on a date. I don’t really want to talk about it, but the lucky man did give me a book of poetry, and read some out-loud to me in the pub. Whilst still in recovery, I read through the book and found this beautiful sonnet which really struck a cord with me. I read it over and over again and entertained myself (and others!) on trains and in queues with my enthusiastic renditions. In fact, this poem was the inspiration for this series of Croaks.

The form for a sonnet is difficult to describe, but it has 14 lines, and a tick-tock-like rhythm: da Dum da Dum da DUM da DUM da DUM (technically this is called iambic pentameter). How the lines rhyme depends upon which type of sonnet but it’s the last word that rhymes and the lines are written in pairs and often arranged in fours. This is an example of an Italian sonnet, the other common form is Shakespearean.

O Soliture! If I must with thee dwell John Keats

O Solitude! if I must with thee dwell,
Let it not be among the jumbled heap
Of murky buildings: climb with me the steep, –
Nature’s observatory -whence the dell,
In flowery slopes, its river’s crystal swell,
May seem a span; let me thy vigils keep
‘Mongst boughs pavilioned, where the deer’s swift leap
Startles the wild bee from the foxglove bell.
But though I’ll gladly trace these scenes with thee,
Yet the sweet converse of an innocent mind,
Whose words are images of thoughts refined,
Is my soul’s pleasure; and it sure must be
Almost the highest bliss of human-kind,
When to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee.

What you can do:

What are your favourite poems about nature? We’d love to hear from you. Share them with us on facebook.

Toad migrations are a go!: Find your nearest patrol site and volunteer

February 21, 2014 by Admin

The Annual toad migration has started in a variety of counties across Britain.

Last month we launched the new interactive map to help link volunteers to the patrol site closest to them.
Last year volunteers saved over 74000 toads as well as other amphibians (check out our facts and figures page for more details).

If you keen to volunteer this year and be one of the many brilliant dedicated patrollers out there saving amphibians please offer to help at your nearest site using the new interactive map located here.

common toad

Croaking Science: The Cause of the Chytrid Catastrophe

February 12, 2014 by Admin

Croaking science is a new way for students, volunteers and scientists to explore what’s occurring in the world of Science – science facts, new research or old debates which are inspired by or affect amphibians and reptiles, and then communicate this to a wider audience in their own words. The aim of the feature is to provide a platform for those starting their foray into the world of science communications as well as established scientists. We welcome any submissions from students and scientists. Please note that the views expressed in the articles are not those of the Froglife Trust.

Becky Austin our Croaking Science reporter, looks at the origins of the Chytrid Virus in the UK.

Chytridiomycosis is a disease caused by the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. The disease causes a number of behavioural and physiological changes in amphibians due to the accumulation of fungal spores in the epidermis, causing eventual death. Due to its infectious nature it is quickly wiping out amphibian populations all over the world at an alarming rate.

Where and when did this virulent disease originate? It was first noted in 1993 in Australia, where frog populations suddenly crashed. However, more recent research found that the origins of the disease lie much further in the past.

By studying museum specimens, researchers found the earliest case of chytridiomycosis in the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis, from as long ago as 1938. The specimen was South African, but Xenopus is widespread in all of sub-Saharan Africa.

Xenopus laevis has been used extensively as a model organism in molecular and developmental biology. Most notably, it was first used in pregnancy testing, where the urine of a pregnant woman would cause a female Xenopus to produce eggs. When this was discovered in the mid-1930s, the unwitting amphibian was exported out of Africa to almost every other continent in the world.

Unfortunately, Xenopus laevis shows no signs of infection when carrying the fungus. Therefore, exporting the species to other countries infected local populations of amphibians, without humans realising the devastating impacts until over half a century later. By this time, the disease had manifested itself into the global pandemic that presents itself to scientists and conservationists today.

What can you do to help?

The disease is around in the UK, – our website and the new Garden Wildlife Health Project websites have information on chytrid fungus. If you see anything that may look like the disease be sure to report it!

Reporting disease sightings: Report your disease sightings on the Garden Wildlife Health Project website. Registration takes about 10 minutes and you’ll be able to easily add future reports and track incidents nationally.
Stop the Swap: The disease can be spread by moving both adult amphibians and frog/toad spawn to different ponds. If you build a pond, please allow amphibians to colonise your garden naturally. Stop the Swap of adults and spawn between gardens.

In the UK Common toads appear to be the most susceptible to Chytrid

References:

Weldon, C., du Preez, L. H., Hyatt, A.D., Muller, R. and Speare, R. (2004). Origin of the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus. Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 10, No. 12, pp 2100-2105.

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