Frogs, toads, and newts have overwintered on land, emerging from their winter dormancy in spring and setting off by the thousands to their breeding ponds. Especially on rainy nights, drivers near bodies of water should be prepared for four-legged pedestrians on the road. Every spring, countless amphibians migrate to their breeding grounds: In high humidity and temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius, toads and frogs migrate throughout the night towards their spawning waters. From approximately 7 p.m. to 19 a.m. each year, around 5 million amphibians begin their nuptial journey. On these spring migrations, the animals cover distances ranging from several hundred meters to several kilometers. However, many hundreds of thousands of them pay for their great journey with their lives: The animals usually travel in large numbers and are often run over and killed by cars.
Every year, therefore, many volunteers from the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare spend late evenings and early mornings collecting grass frogs, common toads, and newts from amphibian fences and transporting them to their breeding ponds. Despite safety measures, many amphibians still end up on the roads each year and are dependent on the behavior of every single driver.
Each of us can easily show consideration during amphibian migration season and thus save countless lives without much effort:
- Pay attention to signs: In the evening and at night, you should avoid driving on roads marked with the famous frog warning triangle if possible.
- Drive slowly: Even if the animals are not directly hit by the wheels, they usually still suffer fatal injuries at speeds above 40 km/h due to the negative pressure. Therefore, if no detour is possible, cross the affected road at a significantly reduced speed.
- Take action: Contact the relevant local authority if you have observed a hiking trail that is not yet protected from traffic and numerous animals have been run over! Report your observations and ask if any measures are already planned.
- Become a frog taxi: Every year in Switzerland, hundreds of thousands of amphibians are safely carried across the roads by animal lovers, schoolchildren and other diligent helpers.
Volunteers wanted
Every year, at around 200 locations in Switzerland, volunteers safely carry over 160,000 amphibians across roads to their breeding ponds. Volunteers are still needed for several migration sites. The volunteers carry the animals, which are caught in buckets, across the road. Checks usually take place at dawn and sometimes also in the evening after dusk. Depending on the weather in spring, these migration sites are monitored for several weeks. For further information, please contact [contact information missing in original text]. www.lepus.unine.ch 
