Hands for Toads: LIFE Insubricus

Climate change, invasive species, and especially habitat loss are the main factors threatening the italian spadefoot toad, Pelobates fuscus insubricus, listed as “Endangered” by I.U.C.N., a small amphibian that risks to disappear forever from the italian wildlife. Spadefoot toads spend most of their lives hidden underground, in deep burrows, emerging only to feed and reproduce on rainy nights. In the past, their range included almost the entire Po Valley, but now there are only about ten confirmed sites where they can still be found, with very few individuals remaining.

To help them, a small team of dedicated and tireless scientists has been running an important and essential conservation project since 2020, funded by the EU: LIFE Insubricus. Starting in spring, the project includes actions to protect the spadefoot toads habitat and relict populations every year, with intensive nocturnal populations monitoring as well as hydrogeological monitoring. Subsequently, the ex-situ breeding program begins, where animals are marked and breeding pairs are selected. Tadpoles are raised in special floating cages, away from potential dangers like invasive fishes and crayfishes. Finally, at the beginning of summer, habitat restoration and reintroduction take place in areas where the species has disappeared. In the following years, monitoring of the repopulated areas is conducted to ensure that the interventions have been successful.