John Yeld
25 July 2007
If you live in the southern Peninsula and have suddenly started hearing a loud and persistent snoring at night, don't send your partner off to an ENT specialist for a check-up.
It's more likely to be the endangered Western leopard toad gearing up for its annual mating ritual, which begins with these loud calls.
The sounds can range from a loud "purring" or snoring noise to a full-blooded roar that sounds like a pack of motorcycle "hogs" heading off on a Sunday breakfast run, according to those in the know.
Another name for this species is the "snoring toad" or "August toad", which is the month when the mating is in full swing.
"They started calling on Sunday at Silvermine and the Zandvlei area, and I've also had a call from someone who'd rescued a large female on Silvermine Road (Sun Valley), so they're moving there as well," said Fish Hoek toad enthusiast Evanne Rothwell.
Western leopard toads are listed as "endangered" on the Red Data List of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) because so much of their habitat and breeding grounds are being taken over for housing and other developments.
They are dry land creatures that go to wetlands and rivers to breed for only about five to 10 days a year, and it's while they are on the move there that they are at their most vulnerable, says Rothwell.
"This is the danger time as they can easily get run over."
Rothwell says the main danger areas are Westlake, Kirstenhof and Lakeside; Marina da Gama and its surrounds; Clovelly and Fish Hoek near the Silvermine wetlands; Sun Valley, near the school; Noordhoek; Kommetjie, near Wireless Road; Hout Bay; Glencairn; and Die Oog in Meadowridge. Fortunately, there are a growing number of residents who volunteer to patrol each night in the breeding season and move toads out of danger.
This year, the City of Cape Town is funding a private co-ordinator, tThe Nature Conservation Corporation, to organise these volunteers to help and to educate the public.
Farrah Feldman of this conservation group agrees that by far the biggest threat is unconcerned people driving over the toads as they make their way to the water and back.
"Masses are killed each year in this manner, and speed bumps in certain areas have proven inefficient as drivers race down roads," she says.
Feldman points out that the toads are neither dangerous nor pests.
"In fact, they help create a healthy ecosystem in your garden, aiding with pest control, and should not be harmed or removed."
Rescued toads should not be put into water - they don't like it, she says.
"Don't move them further than off the road - they know where they are and where they want to be, so don't move them unnecessarily.
"If you find a toad in a hole or crossing a busy road, move it to the nearest point of safety, no more than a few metres away."
Anyone wanting to know more about the toads or to volunteer for nightly patrol duties with fellow volunteers should contact the Nature Conservation Corporation for more information.
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