This week on Ours to Protect, we looked at an on-going conservation project aiming to restore the population of natterjack toads in Castlegregory.
Did you know?...
Last month nearly 1700 natterjack toads were released in Castlegregory.
This is part of an ongoing partnership between the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Fota Wildlife Park.
Natterjack toads are native to the Castlemaine and Castlegregory areas, however the population has declined enormously in recent years.
To date, 9000 toadlets have been released through this conservation effort.
Why is this?....
The natterjack toad population has declined in the last number of years, and now it is vulnerable to a high mortality rate, of 90%, in the wild.
A reason for this may be the loss of habitat.
Natterjack toads need access to water to breed and avoid predators, the wet conditions this year have been favorable for them.
How to help?...
Learning about the habitat of natterjack toads is a good way to help reduce the destruction of it.
Lessening the use of sand dunes and ensuring the growth of natural plants is very helpful.
Avoiding littering and keeping the area rubbish free also contributes to retention of the habitat.
Useful links:
https://thehsi.org/native-reptiles-and-amphibians/natterjack-toad/
https://www.fotawildlife.ie/conservation/conservation-in-ireland/
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0c2e5-natterjack-toadlets-welcomed-home-to-the-kingdom/
