Helping hands for webbed feet

Spring at the Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve is abuzz with activity, and that’s not just from me and my colleagues. The reserve and its fascinating wildlife are starting to burst into life following a wintery slumber, and as ever we’re on hand to tend to nature and its demands.

One of our annual springtime milestones is breeding season for frogs and toads. During this time, they return to the body of water where they were originally spawned so they can mate and lay their eggs. Unfortunately, manmade structures, such as fences, can be difficult obstacles for wildlife to get through, especially as the frogs and toads grow into larger adults and are unable to slip back through the holes they first came through when they were smaller and younger.

Fortunately, the Swanwick Lakes Education & Engagement and Reserve teams were on hand recently to help rescue 292 frogs and toads, to make sure they could get back to the lakes.

Our teams carefully collected, counted and recorded 199 common toads and 93 common frogs, that included mating pairs, from along a security fence line. The frogs and toads were then safely released on the other side of the fence to continue the migration to their breeding ground to spawn the next generation.

Frogs are both predators and prey, which makes them an important part of the food chain, as they provide a vital source of food for several species of animal as well as helping to control populations of other species. They are also considered an indicator species as they are very sensitive to changes in their environment (both aquatic and terrestrial) and their permeable skin makes them especially vulnerable to pollutants. Monitoring populations of indicator species can be an important way to pick up on early warning signs of environmental changes or damage to natural habitats and ecosystems.

There are only four native species of frog in the UK, of which two are toads. Toads are a type of frog, but they have shorter legs, broader noses and drier (and bumpier) skin; these traits allow them to survive for longer in dry conditions compared to most other frogs. Toads also produce bufotoxin via their skin to defend themselves from predators. Unfortunately, toad populations in the UK have been steadily declining due to habitat loss, pollution and climate change and because of this, they are listed as a biodiversity priority species under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act (2006).

Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve helps to protect, maintain and monitor the vital fresh water and woodland habitats that these wonderful amphibians and a variety of other wildlife need to survive. We have five species of amphibians on site in total, including three species of newt. They provide a vital source of food for other wildlife including herons, grass snakes, badgers and dragonfly and damselflies.

Our partnership

NATS has been partners with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT), who maintain the nature reserve, for over 30 years. The former brick quarry, which sits alongside the NATS operational centre in Hampshire, is now a thriving, rich habitat for local wildlife, with native trees, wildflowers and rich meadows. We’re proud to have created the site and continue to support the 86-acre nature reserve which has four scenic lakes, woodland and grassland.

[Image credits: Gemma Paul and Jess Parsons]