Winter homes for Solway coast toads

NEW winter habitat has been built for natterjack toads at a Scottish Water wastewater treatment works at Powfoot.

Natterjacks (Epidalea calamita) can only be found at a handful of locations in Scotland, all on the Solway coast; it is now Scotland’s rarest amphibian.

Their numbers have declined dramatically in recent years, largely due to habitat loss caused by sea level rise, coastal erosion, agricultural intensification, urban expansion and commercial forestry.

To help address this decline in habitat, Scottish Water, NatureScot, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), and Hoddom and Kinmount Estates have come together to build hibernacula, specialist structures designed to provide natterjacks safe spaces to shelter in winter.

The project has been funded by Species on the Edge and the construction of the hibernacula has been carried out by Ground Control.

Each hibernaculum is built by digging pits into the earth and filling them with large rocks. Sand is packed into the spaces between. The natterjack toad is the only amphibian in the UK with the ability to burrow, and the structure creates a network of cavities and crevices with varying microclimates for it to burrow, shelter and regulate their body temperature during winter.

Liam Templeton from ARC said: “We’re incredibly fortunate to have the iconic natterjack toad on the Scottish Solway Coast.

“The species was once abundant here, particularly at locations like Powfoot; local residents speak fondly about times when natterjacks could be heard chorusing on warm evenings.

“It is our ambition for the species to return to its former glory so that such experiences can be enjoyed by future generations to come. “By constructing these hibernacula, we are providing a key habitat requirement for the species and ensuring that they have every opportunity to thrive as they have done before.”

* To find out more visit www.speciesontheedge.co.uk/natterjack-toad or www.arc-trust.org