Key facts
- Gaelic name: Cnàdan
- Length: 6 – 8cm | Weight: 4 – 19g
- When to see: April – July
- Average lifespan: 10 – 15 years
- Conservation status: Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.
- Species on the Edge areas: Solway
Species information
How to identify
This rare toad is smaller than the more widespread common toad (Bufo bufo). Natterjack toads also exhibit a thin bold yellow stripe down the middle of the back, and have notably shorter legs on which they walk rather than hop. The natterjack gets its common name from the loud rasping call made by the male in spring – listen (Credit: Simon Elliott / xeno-canto).
Lifecycle
During the breeding season (April – July) males call from the edge of a pond at night in an effort to attract a mate. Each female natterjack toad lays eggs as two “spawn strings”, with the eggs often forming a single row in each string. The tadpoles are small and black. Common toads lay similar spawn but each string usually has two rows of eggs. The tadpoles develop quickly and the yellow dorsal stripe is clearly visible on the juvenile natterjack toadlets.
Distribution
Natterjack toads are found on about 60 sites in Britain and occur on a small number of sites in south-west Ireland.
Notable natterjack toad populations exist on the sand dunes along the Merseyside coast, the Cumbrian coast and on the Scottish Solway. The natterjack used to be quite common on the heaths of Surrey and Hampshire and also around the coast of East Anglia but only one or two colonies now remain.
Habitat and feeding
In Britain the natterjack toad is almost exclusively confined to coastal sand dune systems, coastal grazing marshes and sandy heaths, though a single colony has been found on an upland fell site in Cumbria. Natterjack toads are often associated with ponds in sand dune slacks, which are often more shallow and warm. Natterjacks require warmer water in which to breed successfully.
Natterjack toads feed on moths, woodlice and other invertebrates. Adults hunt/forage on land, either in grassy pastures or sandy dunes.
When to see
Male natterjacks can be heard calling at night in the breeding season: April – July.
Conservation status
- Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 (illegal to handle without a license).
- Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.
Threats
Threatened by the loss of coastal habitat due to changes in land use and management practices, drought and sea level rise as a result of climate change.
What Species on the Edge is doing
- Liaising with landowners and land managers to promote sustainable land use and management practices
- Advising on the creation and maintenance of new habitat features to support breeding activity
- Mitigating threats from potential predators and competitors
- Engaging members of the public to raise awareness of the species and to promote volunteer monitoring and species recording programmes
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