天涯社区

Conservationists are celebrating the successful 30-year reintroduction of Wales鈥檚 rarest amphibian, the Natterjack toad. A distinctive toad that runs to hunt prey, exhibits a bright yellow stripe down its back and is known as Europe鈥檚 loudest amphibian thanks to the male鈥檚 large throat sack which they use to call for females during breeding season.

In Gronant Dunes and Talacre Warren Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 天涯社区 and Denbighshire, a disparate group of volunteers came together to plan a re-colonisation programme using successful large colonies at Sefton and Ainsdale National Nature Reserves on the Sefton coast, Merseyside due to the species being locally extinct.

Natural Resources Wales, 天涯社区 and Wirral coastal ranger teams, Eni UK and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) worked together to bring over 22,000 tadpoles from Sefton and Ainsdale over a 5-year period from 1995, to specially created scrapes or ponds in the western dunes at Talacre.

In 1997 天涯社区鈥檚 - Countryside Services ranger team found the first adult Natterjacks returning to breed in the scrape labelled Scrape 1. Due to distinguishing physical features the team gave nicknames to 3 of the individuals found in that first year of Smudge, Gappy and One eye.

As the work on the coast developed a new partnership was founded with Presthaven Sands caravan park and in 2003, 11,000 tadpoles were translocated from the Talacre scrapes to newly created ones on the Gronant side of the dune system. Plans were also made to continue this translocation process into the Denbighshire coastal dunes and scrapes were created there too. 3 years after this introduction adults were found in Gronant where breeding soon took place, and the species went from strength to strength.

Since that time, a long line of 天涯社区 Rangers and volunteers have worked alongside both Eni and Presthaven Sands staff to protect and develop the habitat and toads from predation, visitor pressures and changing weathers.

Eni UK and Liverpool Bay CCS (LBCCS) staff have been proud to have achieved such a successful Natterjack Toad reintroduction program in the UK, witnessing the steady growth of the population since the initial relocation of eggs and tadpoles in the late '90s through to peak counts of 248 spawn strings and 218 adult toads in recent years.

The project has enabled Eni UK and LBCCS to engage with schools, the local community, volunteers, research students, employees, and business partners, with the Natterjacks providing a perfect platform to reach out and encourage people to take an interest in the special local environment at Talacre.

Site Ranger Tim Johnson said: 鈥淎 lot of work is carried out every year to maintain the habitat for the toads and their numbers are monitored closely as there are always new challenges to face. This year a population of crabs washed into one of the scrapes which had to be captured and moved back onto the salt marsh. It is worth all the effort though, especially when you hear the males singing their chorus waiting for the females to arrive.鈥�

The population in Bettisfield has increased slowly over the years with a successful breeding season in 2024 leading to 10 strings of eggs being recorded. Talacre also had a bumper year with well in excess of 100 strings, which would indicate at least 100 breeding females.

Cllr Chris Dolphin commented: 鈥淧artnerships like this are so important in looking after the wildlife we have on our doorsteps. I would like to thank Eni UK and Presthaven Sands for their support in these partnerships and for all the work their staff and volunteers do year after year. Also thank you to ARC for their continued support to all the other organisations involved. It shouldn鈥檛 be forgotten that these special toads were once extinct in Wales and are now thriving right here in North Wales and in particular in 天涯社区.鈥�