Motorists asked to look out for agile frogs

17 February 2015

Motorists are being urged to look out for agile frogs on the roads, particularly in the Ouaisne area, over the next few weeks and while the roads are wet.

The frogs migrate to their breeding ponds at this time of year and one of the biggest concerns that the Department of the Environment have is that the female frogs will be run over before they make it to the ponds.

Principal Ecologist John Pinel said “A coordinated conservation effort has meant that numbers of agile frogs have increased annually for the past several years and we have a record numbers of frogs in the wild, however these increased numbers also make them more vulnerable to traffic.

Amphibian conservation programme

We are asking people to be extra vigilant, particularly on wet nights, when driving down Mont du Ouaisne to Ouaisne beach and the bay’s facilities. On one night alone last week, seven frogs were found dead having been squashed by cars.”

Each female frog is capable of laying up to 400 eggs, so every female frog lost to traffic has a massive impact on the amphibian conservation programme.

Although occurring throughout much of Central Europe, Jersey is the only place in the British Isles that is home to the agile frog (Rana dalmatina). This special species for Jersey has suffered long-term decline throughout most of the twentieth century. The species is now known to exist in only one natural site on the Island and has been reintroduced into three other sites.

The States of Jersey Departm​ent of the Environment has been working together with Durrell under the auspices of the Jersey Amphibian and Reptile Group (JARG) for a number of years on the conservation of the agile frog.