UK gardeners urged to build ponds as sightings of frogs and toads dry up

Sightings of toads have fallen by nearly a third and frogs by 17% since 2014, RSPB survey finds

Patrick Barkham

Thu 21 Jun 2018 06.28 BST

People with gardens are being urged to create simple ponds or areas of long grass because sightings of frogs and toads in gardens are drying up.

Reports of toads in gardens have fallen by nearly a third since 2014, while sightings of frogs have dropped by 17% over the same period, according to the Big Garden Birdwatch, the RSPB’s wildlife survey.

Frogs were the most common non-bird garden visitor, seen in 39% of the more than 174,000 gardens which took part in the survey this year, while toads were only found in one in five gardens.

These declines are mirrored by other surveys, including data from volunteer groups who help toads cross the road, which found toad numbers have fallen by more than two-thirds over 30 years.

The declines in gardens are linked to a loss of ponds in gardens and the RSPBis calling on people to take simple measures to help garden amphibians, which rely on sources of water to survive but also often live in longer grass, logpiles or stones.

“There are lots of simple things we can all do in our outdoor spaces to make them perfect for wildlife,” said Daniel Hayhow, RSPB conservation scientist.“Creating a small pond in your garden, or a pool using a washing-up bowl is so simple to do and could make all the difference.”

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