First News: Toad-ally ready for the winter

Native amphibians will be settling into their shelters in the UK this winter

As winter arrives in the UK our native amphibians will be settling into their winter shelters, so keep an eye out for them if you are doing work in your garden.

Log piles, leaf litter and rockeries are all perfect places for amphibians to shelter over winter. Unlike some animals, our native species don’t go into true hibernation but they go through a period of stillness or reduced movement to help them conserve their energy. On warm and sunny days, you may even spot them out foraging for food. Charity Froglife have launched a free app called Dragon Finder, where you can log any sightings of amphibians and identify them using an identification guide. All data collected is sent to the National Biodiversity Network Atlas which helps scientists learn more about our native species.

YOUR NEWS

Young people! Send us your news and photos to [email protected] and have your story published on this page and, perhaps, in First News too.

Police visit

By Danes Hill School