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Black History Month: Standing Firm in Power and Pride

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Written by Jorella Andrews, Chair of Albion Millennium Green Trust, Forest Hill, London

Froglife is working with the Albion Millennium Green Trust to restore a pond on their site as part of our London Blue Chain project.

On Thursday October 23rd, I attended a Black History Month event at Islington Town Hall. When the Mayor of Islington, Nigerian-born Cllr Jason Jackson, addressed this year’s theme of “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” he emphasised using this strong sense of self to serve the community. I’d like to echo this message.

I’m of Dutch/Trinidadian heritage and was raised in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. Both of my parents instilled in me a love of nature. Growing up, my Trinidadian father gave each of us children a small plot of ground in the back garden that we were to care for. I still remember the dahlias that grew on my patch; I loved their warm Autumnal colours and tubular petals. Often, after school, if the weather was fine, my mother would take us on impromptu walks in the wildness of the nearby Pentland Hills. This certainly inspired me to settle in a leafy part of London—Forest Hill—and to get involved in local conservation work. Since 2016, I’ve been part of a team of volunteers that cares for Albion Millennium Green, a Green Flag Community Award-winning public green space close to my home.

Nature feeds my soul, and I love contributing to the upkeep of what made London the world’s first national park city in 2019.  But another factor influenced me in this direction, again learned from my father: his life-long commitment to public service. As one of very few black men living in Edinburgh at the time, despite a busy job as an academic, the responsibility of raising a large family, and the reality of living in an atmosphere of racial prejudice, his Trinidadian upbringing had taught him that public service was something you naturally did, and enjoyed doing, no matter what. Dad, I thank you.

Inclusivity is at the heart of Froglife’s work. Our vision is a world in which reptile and amphibian populations are flourishing as part of healthy ecosystems, and we know that to achieve this we need to have EVERYONE on board.  Our Mission statement reflects this by saying “We engage diverse communities and encourage learning about wildlife conservation.”  We are proud of the diversity of staff, volunteers and project participants we have and hope to continue to build on this in the future.

As an organisation we are constantly looking at how we can engage new audiences with conservation and encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds into the sector.  Actions taken since the last Black History Month include:

  • Celebrating heritage and community service: Froglife supports Black History Month because it highlights stories like Jorella Andrews’—where a love of nature, family influence, and a strong commitment to public service come together. These values align with our mission to build inclusive, nature-connected communities.
  • Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI): EDI is at the heart of Froglife’s strategic plan. We recognise that environmental spaces must be welcoming and accessible to everyone, and we actively promote diversity across all our programmes, partnerships, and community projects.
  • Commitment to anti-racism: All Froglife staff have received anti-racism training, and we continue to develop our understanding and practice. We are proud to have an Anti-Racism Statement publicly available on our website, affirming our ongoing commitment to challenging inequality.
  • Inclusive recruitment and representation: We have made significant progress in improving our recruitment processes to ensure fairness, accessibility, and inclusivity, with the goal of better reflecting the diverse communities we serve.
  • Standing firm in power and pride: Echoing this year’s Black History Month theme and the Mayor of Islington’s message—amplified by Jorella’s reflections—we celebrate the strength, pride, and positive contributions of Black individuals in conservation, community action, and public life, recognising how these enrich our collective environmental and social impact.

Remember, Remember the Wildlife this November!

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We know that our amphibians and reptiles like to find dark, warm places to hide in at this time of year, which is why we love building hibernacula, log piles or compost heaps in our gardens. These are all very similar to bonfires, so please keep an eye out for our species and other wildlife hiding in your bonfire materials!

Here are some handy tips on how to keep wildlife safe:

  • Wait until the latest possible time to build your bonfire. This will reduce the chance of wildlife taking up residence. If you want to be organised and collect the materials beforehand, stack these up in a separate place and ideally away from your usual wildlife-friendly spots.
  • Check, check and check again before lighting the bonfire, use a torch to make extra sure and only light the fire from one side giving any wildlife time to escape.
  • Make sure the bonfire is out, or safe before leaving it, ash can remain hot for a while and can potentially harm wildlife.
  • Think about creating a permanent home for wildlife in a quiet area of your garden. This can be a log pile, leaf pile, hibernaculum, rockery, or compost heap. Find out more here and let us know how you get on.

 

Amphibians and reptiles in the sky

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Written by Andrew Smart, Head of Science & Research

While planning for a dark sky watch to catch the Draconid meteor shower between 6–10 October, I came across a constellation I hadn’t been aware of previously; Lacerta, the lizard.

Lacerta is one of the recognised 88 constellations but was added in 1687 and so there are no linked Greek myths like many of the original constellations. The brightest stars form a small ‘W’ and its sometimes referred to as ‘little Cassiopeia’ which is what I’d always known it as. This first diagram is the original drawing by Johannes Hevelius in his listing in 1687, when he originally called the constellation ‘Stellio’ , now the species name for the started agama (Stellagama stellio). A second, and more recent, interpretation includes the ‘head stars’.

https://historiasdeastronomia.es/vistas/images/artistic/lacerta.jpg

 

https://bathastronomers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/lac_constellation_artwork.jpg

 

https://theskylive.com/sky/constellations/lacerta-constellation

To find Lacerta, locate the “W” shape of Cassiopea in the northern UK sky. Lacerta lies to the south of Cassiopea and to the west of the distinctive shape of Cygnus, the swan. It also appears that early Chinese astronomers included the same constellation stars within a ‘flying serpent’.

Other reptilian constellations include: Serpens, Draco and Hydra, all ‘original’ constellations catalogued by the Greeks.

Serpens represents a giant snake held by the healer Asclepius (see ‘Why Aesculapian?’ blog). The snake is found in two sections, Serpens caput (the head) and Serpens cauda (the tail), held by Ophiuchus (another name for Aesculapius). 

Draco the dragon is a large constellation in the northern sky and is circumpolar, coiling around the Plough as shown here in Urania’s Mirror (constellation cards published in London in 1825). Draco was meant to be the dragon slain by Hercules when it guarded  the golden apples of the Hesperides and is famous for being the source of the early October Draconid meteor shower linked to the passage of a periodic comet.

Hydra, represents the Greek myth of a multiheaded half woman – half serpent. Hydra is the largest constellation and stretches across the southern sky.

Two other reptiles are present in the southern sky:

Hydrus, the water serpent, devised by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius in 1597 is reputed to represent the sea snakes seen on their southern voyages by Dutch sailors.

Chameleo (the chameleon) is another small southern constellation, also created by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius in the 16th century after observations by the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman.

One other ‘non-accepted’ constellation worthy of mention is Bufo, the toad, first proposed by John Hill in 1754 in ‘Urania’ his book of astronomic charts. Bufo was one of 15 ‘new’ constellations Hill proposed. Bufo is situated between Libra and Hydra in the southern hemisphere but is not widely recognised as a constellation.

Since writing this I’ve become aware of more information relating to Chinese, First Nation, Native American, Mayan and Aztec mythology and astronomy linked to reptiles and amphibians so watch this space….and next time you gaze up at the night sky (maybe taking a pause on a Toad Patrol) or watching the Leonid meteor shower; 6 – 30 November (peak 17/18 November), take a moment and see if you can find a lizard, a dragon or a snake! 

Tadpole diversity needs more attention if anurans are to be effectively conserved

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Roger Downie

Froglife and University of Glasgow

A quarter of a century ago, James Hanken (1999) drew attention to the ironical situation that at a time when the serious worldwide declines in amphibian populations were becoming recognised, the number of described amphibian species was increasing at a faster rate than for any other vertebrate class. In 1985, the number of species was 4003; given the current rate of new descriptions, Hanken expected the number to reach 5000 by the turn of the century (1.7% more per year). Now, half-way through 2025, Frost’s database lists 8883 species (actually 3% more per year since 1985), 7828 of them anurans (frogs and toads), with no sign that the rate of new species description is likely to decline soon. But sadly, as these numbers continue to rise, so too do the threats: the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) in 2004 concluded that 32.5% of species were threatened with extinction, the highest proportion for any vertebrate class; GAA2 in 2022 revised that figure upwards to 40.7% (although part of the rise results from a decrease in the proportion of species classed as Data Deficient, 22.5 to 11.3%). That figure can only be a tentative estimate, since the conservation status of the newly-described species is rarely known.

If we are to roll back the wave of amphibian extinctions, a key step is to determine how many species exist and where they live (to non-biologists, it is probably a surprise to realise that after centuries of species recording, the world species catalogue is nowhere near complete). However, if we are to protect species into the future, we need to know much more than is contained in a basic species description. Hortal et al. (2015) listed the ‘shortfalls’ (or deficiencies) in our current knowledge about biodiversity under a set of headings named after prominent scientists, for example:

  • Linnean: description and cataloguing of species
  • Wallacean: distribution of species
  • Prestonian: abundance and population dynamics
  • Darwinian: relationships and variability

Faria et al.(2020) identified another class of shortfall: Haeckelian, named after the prominent 19th century German embryologist Ernst Haeckel. This class encompasses knowledge of a species life-history stages. Now, a group of mainly Argentinian biologists has applied this idea to frogs and toads (Vera Candioti et al., 2023; Nori et al., 2025): they note that for more than 50% of species, we have only adult descriptions, with no information on embryonic, larval and juvenile stages, including on their habitats and habits. This clearly matters for species with biphasic life histories where the larval/tadpole stage is fundamentally different from the adult in form, habits and habitat, since measures aimed at conserving adults may be ineffective in assisting earlier stages. The authors note that the IUCN species assessment process does not yet take this information shortfall fully into account, finding that many species where knowledge of larval stages is entirely lacking are currently listed as of Least Concern.

Nori et al.’s (2025) paper describes a strategy for reducing the Haeckelian shortfall for anurans, using geographical and other data to identify the areas where focussed fieldwork should be capable of finding and documenting the missing larval stages, habits and habitats: these are parts of the tropical Andes, eastern Brazil, tropical Africa, India, southeast Asia and New Guinea.

In the UK, with our very limited anuran fauna, including limited larval diversity (all species having pond-dwelling algal browsers), it is hard for us to appreciate the vast diversity of larval forms found elsewhere, and to understand that much diversity remains to be discovered. A few recent examples illustrate this point:

  • Dias et al. (2024a) analysed the food processing mouth-parts of several so-called ‘sand-eating’ tadpoles from Madagascar: the ruffled ridges used for separating organic material from sand-grains are described as ‘astonishingly novel’ and not seen previously in any anuran larvae.
  • Dias et al. (2024b) described the adhesive oral discs of two Andean toad tadpoles as so different from those of relatives that they justified assignment to a new genus Adhaerobufo despite the adults being quite similar to relatives.
  • Romero-Carvajal et al.(2023) describe early development of a ‘plump toad’, one of eleven species found in the Andes, where early stages are previously unknown. Small numbers of large terrestrial eggs are produced, with no free-living tadpole stage; however, the pre-hatching stages include an elongated tail, unlike the findings for other direct-developing species.
Dias et al. (2024a) analysed the food processing mouth-parts of several so-called ‘sand-eating’ tadpoles from Madagascar

When I started research on the amphibians of Trinidad and Tobago in the 1980s, I was lucky that the existing account (Kenny, 1969) included illustrations and natural history notes on most of the tadpoles, and we were able to extend these to cover some new species, including the glassfrog and stream-frog tadpoles of Tobago. But much remains to be done. We made observations on some key variables: for example, the time taken from hatching to metamorphosis, as little as 12 days in some cases; the time taken for the period of metamorphosis itself, and the behaviour of newly metamorphosed froglets. All these are crucial to the success of the anuran life-cycle, but remain hugely under-researched for most species. Let’s hope that the focus provided by Vera Candioti and colleagues provides an impetus for the needed research.

Acknowledgement

Thanks to Robin Bruce for drawing my attention to Nori et al’s paper.

References

Dias, P.H.S. et al. (2024a). Stranger things: on the novel buccopharyngeal anatomy and functional morphology of ‘sand-eating’ Malagasy tadpoles. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 202, zlae127.

Dias, P.H.S. et al. (2024b). The remarkable larval morphology of Rhaebo nasicus with the erection of a new bufonid genus and insights into the evolution of suctorial tadpoles. Zoological Letters10, 17.

Faria, L. et al. (2021). The Haeckelian shortfall, or the tale of the missing semaphoronts. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolution Research 59, 359-369.

Hanken, J. (1999). Why are there so many new amphibian species when amphibians are declining? Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14, 7-8.

Hortal, J. et al. (2015). Seven shortfalls that beset large-scale knowledge of biodiversity. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 46, 527-549.

Kenny, J. S. (1969). The amphibia of Trinidad. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands 29, 1-78.

Nori, J. et al. (2025). Global key areas for anuran tadpole discovery. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 145, blaf017.

Romero-Carvajal, A. et al. (2023). Direct development or endotrophic tadpole? Morphological aspects of the early ontogeny of the plump toad Osornophryne occidentalis. Journal of Morphology 284, e21582.

Vera Candioti, F. et al. (2023). Global shortfalls of knowledge on anuran tadpoles. npj Biodiversity 2, 22.

What our animals are doing this month

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Common Lizards in October

As the crisp days of October arrive in the UK, our native common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) enters one of the most important stages of its year: preparing for brumation (similar to hibernation, but animals will only come out during warmer periods in winter). These reptiles, often spotted basking in summer sunshine, are now shifting their behaviour to cope with falling temperatures and shorter days.

common lizard

 

Seasonal Behaviour

  • Reduced Activity: Being cold-blooded, lizards depend on external warmth to stay active. By October, the cooler air and weaker sunlight mean they spend far less time basking and feeding.

  • Searching for Shelter: Instead of roaming in search of prey, they begin looking for hibernation sites, known as hibernacula, where they will remain hidden until spring.

 

 

Choosing a Brumation Spot

Common lizards seek out safe places that provide:

  • Frost Protection – deep vegetation, old tree stumps, or burrows that stay above freezing.

  • Moisture – enough dampness to prevent dehydration, but not waterlogged.

  • Cover from Predators – hidden crevices or log piles that conceal them from birds, mammals, or even domestic pets.

These shelters are vital to survival, as a poorly chosen site could leave the lizard vulnerable during the long winter. Find out more about how to build shelters for wildlife at home on our website.  

 

Young Lizards in October

Juveniles, born in late summer, face an especially tough challenge. They have only a few weeks to feed and build strength before cold weather forces them underground. October is a critical month in their development, and only those that find secure hibernation spots are likely to emerge again in spring.

 

Spotting Lizards in Autumn

While sightings are less common, it is still possible to see lizards on mild October days. They may bask briefly in weak sunshine to top up their body heat before returning to cover. By the end of the month, however, most will have vanished from view completely.

If you spot dead (make sure they’re dead and not hibernating during the winter months) or diseased reptiles or amphibians, please report them to our partners at Garden Wildlife Health.

Remember to record any sightings on our free Dragon Finder app. This helps us see how reptiles are fairing in the UK. Reptiles are vastly under-reported! 

 

How You Can Help

If you manage a garden or local green space, you can make conditions friendlier for common lizards by:

  • Leaving log or rock piles undisturbed.

  • Avoiding cutting back dense vegetation in autumn.

  • Creating wild corners where lizards can hunt and later hibernate.

These simple actions can provide vital refuges for reptiles as they prepare for the cold months.

 

In Summary

By October, common lizards are winding down their year, seeking safe winter homes where they will remain in torpor until spring sunshine returns. For wildlife watchers, this is the last chance to spot them before their seasonal disappearance and a reminder of just how carefully adapted they are to Britain’s changing seasons.

New research confirms ongoing and worrying decline of Britain’s common toads

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Toad populations have almost halved in the past 40 years, but huge annual citizen science efforts are key to vital data collection and ongoing conservation

New research published this week, confirms that populations of common toads (Bufo bufo) continue to decline in Great Britain, reflecting declines experienced by other once-common species such as farmland birds and hedgehogs, and likely indicating wider countryside-scale challenges facing some generalist native species. The research, led by Froglife – a leading UK amphibian and reptile conservation charity – has been published in leading journal Biodiversity and Conservation, and confirms that common toad populations have declined by a staggering 41% in the last 40 years in Britain, and by 33% in Switzerland, despite ongoing volunteer action via ‘toad patrols’

Native toads (Bufo bufo)

The study, which focuses on trend estimation rather than the reasons for the decline, provides an update following a paper published by Froglife in 2016 that first quantified the decline of common toads in Britain. It revealed a 68% decline in 30 years (1985-2013), but since 2016 researchers have added eight more years of data (1985-2021) from annual toad patrols which has been reanalysed to produce these latest figures. These are now the most up-to-date and comprehensive statistics for common toad populations in Britain, providing what’s thought to be one of the biggest datasets ever used for tracking population trends of amphibians, with millions of toads included in the analyses. The findings will enable conversationists at Froglife to better understand population trends, where toads most need help and to implement effective conservation action to help curb the decline.

Dr Silviu Petrovan, Trustee of Froglife, Senior Researcher at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the study explains: “Although it might appear that the situation for common toads has slightly improved since our 2016 paper, today’s findings are sadly very worrying as they show vast numbers of toads are being lost every year. The base level population is much lower than it was even in the 1980s – and the decline is ongoing, confirming that we need to urgently act to protect this much-loved and once common species before it’s too late.”

“The situation toads are facing in Britain probably reflects what’s happening both in the wider rural landscape in Britain but also in Europe too, and thanks to our partners in Switzerland we now understand how toads are faring overseas. Long-term monitoring of any species is crucial to its recovery, and together I hope we can build on our findings by increasing monitoring across more of the toad’s range in Europe in order to fully-understand the wider situation the species is facing and how we can collectively help to conserve them.”

The reasons for the decline are likely numerous and complex. Road mortality is considered a major issue facing toads, combined with loss of ponds, increased urbanisation and perhaps a decline in their invertebrate prey (beetles, earthworms and slugs) in the wider countryside. Climate change is also thought to exacerbate the problem as milder winters are detrimental for hibernating toads, meaning they can lose body condition and produce fewer eggs.

Although the report’s main findings confirm a serious and ongoing decline, there are a few glimmers of hope. There appears to be regional recovery in some areas, including the south east and central regions of Britain, regions considered to have the most serious decline in 2016. But, as this is based on short-term data, monitoring in future years will be needed to confirm if toads really are starting to recover in these areas.

The study also highlights the vital contribution of volunteers, who every year help toads safely migrate across Britain’s roads in search of breeding ponds via ‘toad patrols’, as part of Froglife’s Toads on Roads project. It’s thought this annual volunteer effort has substantially reduced the rate of decline in areas where patrols are in place, enabling most adult toads at those sites to successfully breed – which is key to the species’ success.

Jenny Tse-Leon, Head of Conservation and Impact at Froglife said: “Thanks to our amazing ‘Toad Patrollers’ we have this essential long-term dataset and now understand the scale of the problem toads are facing. Without toad patrols populations in these areas would have already experienced a much steeper decline, resulting in more populations becoming locally extinct. We are so grateful to our volunteers and hope that even more sign up and help next spring.”

“This research also reiterates the need for effective government policies to do more for our common and widespread species, which is particularly pertinent in the face of the government’s current Independent Water Commission review and Planning and Infrastructure Bill amendments. We will continue to advocate for amphibians and the habitats they rely on by ensuring they’re included in policies and suitably protected, researched, and funded to not only halt but to reverse these declines. As an organisation we encourage and deliver the restoration and creation of more, and better-connected ponds and terrestrial habitats such as woodlands and grasslands, which are essential to their survival, as well as engaging local communities with this work. We need to build on these findings to make sure that toads continue to be monitored, and that we use our knowledge to halt and reverse their decline.”

The full paper can be read online here: bit.ly/uncommoncommontoads

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