Frogs, toads and newts will soon be on their way
Lower nature conservation authority of the city of Chemnitz is looking for helpers again
When the ground is frost-free, the evening temperatures exceed 5 °C and there is rain, we can expect to see more migrating amphibians again. This year, the Lower Nature Conservation Authority of the City of Chemnitz (UNB) is once again looking for helpers to support them in the daily maintenance of the mobile guidance systems.
After a short briefing, the helpers can then work independently. The UNB also asks people to report unknown amphibian changes so that protection measures can be taken.
The Lower Nature Conservation Authority of the City of Chemnitz can be contacted on the telephone numbers 488-3602, -3603 or -3644 if you have any queries or amphibian observations.
Road traffic is the greatest threat to amphibian species, all of which are now subject to special legal protection. In order to minimise losses along migration routes that are crossed by roads, the UNB, with the support of other authorities and citizens, is pursuing various approaches:
At the main points of conflict, stationary amphibian protection facilities were subsequently erected on existing roads (Röhrsdorfer Straße, Eubaer Straße, Stiftsweg), which allow amphibians to cross safely underneath independently through road culverts.
When new roads were built, such facilities were also realised during the planning phase if there was evidence of migration movements (Südring, extended Kalkstraße).
Mobile amphibian protection fences are used where it is not possible to erect a stationary amphibian protection system for structural or economic reasons. The fences, which are erected especially for the spawning migration period, prevent the animals from reaching the road and being run over. At most mobile fences, buckets are dug into the ground, into which the animals inevitably fall and which they cannot leave on their own. This is where the work of the helpers begins, who carry the buckets with the amphibians across the road every day after dusk and, if necessary, also early in the morning.
Furthermore, roads that cannot be used, such as the forest road in Zeisigwald, are closed at night during the amphibian migration. In addition, signs will be erected at 24 migration hotspots. Drivers are asked to drive at an appropriate speed in these sections.
Background
The native frogs, toads and newts belong to the class of amphibians, which spend their lives both on land and in water. A special feature of their way of life is that they visit different habitats depending on the season and migrate back and forth between them.
More than ten different amphibian species have been recorded throughout the city. All of these amphibian species are dependent on bodies of water for their reproduction. After hibernating in spring, the animals leave their hibernation sites (e.g. cavities under roots, in the ground or in mud) and make their way to their spawning waters. Depending on the species, they cover distances ranging from a few hundred metres (e.g. pond newt) to several kilometres (e.g. common toad).