Image: Wikimedia Commons
The Natterjack Toad: Britain's Rarest Amphibian Is Doing Better Than It Was
10 February 2026
The Natterjack Toad is Britain's rarest amphibian. It needs warm, shallow, temporary pools in open, sandy habitat — a combination that puts it squarely in conflict with the general direction of land use in England over the past century. The Sefton Coast is one of its last strongholds. Here's why that matters, and what's being done to keep it that way.
Why Natterjacks need dune slacks
Dune slacks are the shallow, wet hollows between dune ridges that flood in winter and dry out in summer. The water temperature in these pools rises rapidly in spring sunshine, which is exactly what Natterjack spawn needs. Common Toad and Common Frog prefer cooler, deeper water — the dune slack is a niche that Natterjacks have evolved to exploit with very little competition.
The problem is that dune slacks are rare and getting rarer. Coastal development, stabilisation of dune systems and reduced grazing all reduce the extent and quality of slack habitat. On the Sefton Coast, active management — scrub removal, cattle grazing, and in some cases the creation of new shallow pools — is specifically aimed at maintaining the conditions Natterjacks need.
The Sefton population
The Sefton Coast holds one of the largest Natterjack populations in England, centred on the dune slacks at Ainsdale NNR and the surrounding managed areas. Population estimates fluctuate considerably year to year depending on weather — a cold, wet spring can reduce breeding success dramatically.
Egg-string counts in the breeding pools give a rough index of breeding adults. In good years, counts run into the hundreds at Ainsdale. Natural England manages the NNR specifically to maintain and improve Natterjack habitat.
Egg-string translocation
Where Natterjack populations have been lost from suitable habitat, translocation of egg-strings from donor populations has been used to re-establish them. The Sefton Coast has acted as a donor site for reintroductions elsewhere in England. This is careful, permit-controlled work — you cannot collect spawn without a Natural England licence.
On-site translocation — moving egg-strings between pools within the Ainsdale system — has also been used to supplement struggling sub-populations. It requires monitoring the receiving pools post-translocation to assess success.
How to see them
Natterjack Toads are easiest to find in the breeding season — late April through June, on warm evenings after dark. The males call from the margins of breeding pools, producing a loud, dry churring that carries a remarkable distance. In good conditions, the calling from a Natterjack colony at Ainsdale on a warm May night is audible from 300 metres or more.
Night visits to Ainsdale NNR during the calling season are sometimes organised by Natural England — check their events programme. Do not visit the most sensitive pool areas without guidance.
The bigger picture
The Natterjack story on the Sefton Coast is, carefully, a positive one. The population is relatively stable, the habitat is managed, and the site contributes to national conservation work. That positive outcome is not an accident — it's the result of decades of active management, monitoring and advocacy.
The lesson, as usual with conservation on the Sefton Coast, is that nothing maintains itself. The moment the management stops, scrub moves in, pools deepen and shade over, and the conditions that make Natterjack survival possible disappear within a few years.
About the author
Ed
Ed has been walking the Sefton Coast since the 1980s. He keeps a yearly bird tally, owns more waterproof jackets than he'd care to admit, and has strong opinions about which hide has the best light in the morning. Retired geography teacher. Still gets up at five.