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Like every spring, thousands of amphibians are on their way to their spawning grounds. In the Fulda district, volunteers save animals from road death.
Fulda – Die mild temperatures in the first days of March have kicked off the annual amphibian migration in the Fulda district. Toads, frogs and newts are once again on the roads in droves to get from their winter quarters to their traditional spawning grounds. Thousands of people are run over every year before they even reach the safe water. The Lower Nature Conservation Authority therefore draws attention to the hike with fences and signs.
Danger on the road: The annual toad migration begins
According to a statement from the Fulda district, the animals spent the winter well protected underground, buried in piles of leaves or stones or under roots. As soon as the frost and snow are over, they set off on a hike. An inner compass leads them – mainly at dusk in wet weather – unwaveringly back to the water in which they once hatched from the egg as burbots. Last year there was no rainfall in March, so the volunteer fire department in Sinntal filled up amphibian ponds and pools with water.
It goes on to say that thousands of animals fall victim to road death every year. Because the habitats between which they migrate back and forth are cut up by roads. “Many animals also sit on the asphalt that is still heated from the day to warm themselves up,” explained Lisa Holz, an employee of the district’s lower nature conservation authority.
The district is therefore putting up warning signs on particularly busy roads to warn road users about the migrating toads by the end of April and to encourage them to adjust their speed. “It would make sense to protect the animals at 30km/h. At higher speeds, they can suffer internal bleeding from the air pressure of the cars driving over them, even if they are not directly run over,” says Holz.
Where possible, amphibian protection is also taken into account in road construction, reports the district. For example, as part of the renovation of district road 143 between Langenschwarz and Unter-Schwarz, an amphibious control system was installed. Here the migrating animals find their way safely to the water through a connected tunnel system.
The district is also commissioning the construction of mobile amphibian protection fences on four roads. In Eiterfeld-Wölf, the youth fire brigade builds and maintains such a fence. Volunteers check the fences every day for a period of three to four weeks and bring the stranded animals in collection containers across the streets to the nearest body of water.
Toad migration has begun – volunteers are helping the animals
For the volunteers, rescue by “toad taxi” is a matter of honor and a highlight in the calendar every year. “I really enjoy going toad rescue in the evenings because there are so many animals sitting on the fence,” said ten-year-old Jona from Petersberg. He helps collect toads with his family and friends at the doughnut hedge near Dipperz. “Mostly common toads end up in the buckets. Every now and then a few newts and frogs too.”
At just under a kilometer long, there is the longest fence in the district. The numbers are impressive and illustrate the importance of the toad population there: in 2025 there were around 2,500, in 2024 around 3,000 and in 2023 even 4,200 animals in one season. “The numbers fluctuate a little every year and illustrate how important this population is,” emphasized Lisa Holz. “Amphibians are under special protection: they provide food for other animals, reduce plant pests themselves and keep water bodies clean. Even if we cannot save every single toad, the measures effectively contribute to maintaining the existing populations.”
The mobile amphibian protection fences are located along district road 156 between Reckrod and Wölf in the municipality of Eiterfeld and on country road 3079 near Jossa in the municipality of Hosenfeld. There are also fences on highway 3079 near Giesel in the municipality of Neuhof as well as on federal highway 278 between Tann and Schlitzenhausen and above the Kneshecke near Dipperz.
