A population of Europe's noisiest amphibian, the increasingly rare natterjack toad, is to receive a genetic boost - thanks to work by the University of Sussex and Natural England.
Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve (NNR) in Lincolnshire is home to a significant but isolated community of natterjack toads, which have fewer than 50 populations left in England.
Because of the poor genetic mix of the Lincolnshire population, its toads are not thriving. A project between the University of Sussex and Natural England has identified genetically compatible toads in Sandy, Bedfordshire - and spawn from this population is now to be brought to the reserve to give the population a boost.
Professor Trevor Beebee from Sussex said: "Natterjack toads at Sandy came originally from a site in Norfolk reasonably close to the Saltfleetby reserve. They have high genetic diversity, and we hope that this infusion of new blood will invigorate the Lincolnshire toad population so it will no longer need the artificial rearing of tadpoles every year to survive."
Natural England's Reserve Manager Simon Cooter explained: "We have constructed ponds, which are safe from predators, where the spawn will be able to mature. As they develop into young toads they will gradually disperse among the dunes and mate with the native population next year. We will repeat this process again in 2010."
