Road signs put up in Cumbria as frog and toad breeding begins

Motorists are being urged to drive carefully as toads, frogs and newts cross to get to their breeding grounds.

Cumberland Council installed road signs after the creatures were seen migrating from their hibernation spots to a pond in Caldbeck, Cumbria.

Frogs and toads are known for annual mass migrations as they make their way back to their birthplace to reproduce.

The Wildlife Trusts said the amphibians tend to emerge at dusk after a spell of damp, mild weather.

The warning comes after West Cumbria Rivers Trust made a similar plea to motorists on the A591 near the Dodd Wood area.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust's head of nature recovery, David Harpley, said: "The really interesting thing about these animals is that they will normally make the journey all the way back to their ancestral breeding pond every year, regardless of what obstacles may be in their way.

"This is why it is so important for road users to be particularly careful at this time of the year and help as many frogs and toads to make it back to their ponds as possible," he explained.

The road signs in Caldbeck will remain for the period of migration, which can happen any time between January and April.

The council said residents had also spotted newts making the crossing.

The Wildlife Trusts explained that "newts migrate just as frogs and toads do, but since adults rarely move far from their breeding pond these migrations are not as spectacular as other amphibians".

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