Study finds salt levels impact natterjack toad size and survival in Scotland
By
Giancarlo Rinaldi
Has the shape of a bagel but none of the steam.
Summary
A study of Scotland's only natterjack toad colonies reveals that salt levels in their breeding sites significantly impact their size and survival. High salinity prevents embryo hatching, while moderate salinity results in smaller toads, which are more vulnerable to predators. The findings could help improve conservation and restoration efforts for the species.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledSome of the former breeding sites had such a high level of salinity that no embryos survived to hatching.
Some weren't as lethally salty, but what we saw there was that the toads were much smaller.
That doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you're a frog, size really does matter. 95% of tadpoles are eaten by predators.
For the 5% that make it to the next stage of development, they need to be as big as possible for a chance at survival.
Until now, a lot of natterjack toad restoration efforts have focused on improvin
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