Toad Fencing

Animex wildlife fencing is designed and tested to control toad movement and exclude them from unwanted or dangerous areas. It optimizes natural amphibian behavior to encourage safe and fast movement away and, unlike mesh fencing, inhibits climbing and entanglement.

Controlling Toad Movement

It was estimated in 1998 that 1 million vertebrates were killed every day on roads in the United States, a high proportion of them being amphibians, frogs, toads, and salamanders. Given the increase in traffic volumes since then, this figure – when replicated globally – shows what a serious problem road-kill is; additional deaths occur at unfenced development sites and railroads. For salamanders, most deaths come during their migration between breeding sites (they require an aquatic environment in which to breed) and terrestrial feeding or hibernation sites.

Salamanders and newts exhibit site fidelity, which means they return to the same vernal pool(s) each spring to breed, very often the pool(s) where they were born. In many parts of the world that means having to cross roads to get there – and they’re not good at avoiding traffic. In one Canadian study, biologists found that there had been more than 30,000 amphibian deaths in four years on a 3-kilometre stretch of road. Other researchers found that in western Massachusetts, road-kill rates were high enough to lead to localized extinctions of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in 25 years. Additionally, any construction site is also a potential death-trap for amphibians, hence the need for effective exclusion fencing.

It is the responsibility of transport planning engineers to reduce the ecological impact roads have and use mitigation measures as tools in ecological conservation. Fencing, along with other mitigation measures, such as tunnels, has been shown to reduce road-kill dramatically at key migration points without disrupting the animals’ life cycle. However, it has to be the right kind of fencing or salamanders will find a way through it, rendering it a waste of time and money.

Fencing can also be used to aid population assessment before the development of new construction sites.

IMAGE: Early example of Animex fencing from 2004 containing a small population of Natterjack Toads during a translocation in the UK. Animex was also used during scientific comparison studies on elevated roads for Yosemtite Toads by USGS in California, USA.

Top 5 toad species Animex is commonly used for:

Arroyo Toad

Yosemite Toad

Eastern spadefoot

Boreal Toad

Fowler’s toad

  • Arroyo toad Anaxyrus californicus

  • Houston toad Bufo houstonensis

  • Natterjack toad Epidalea calamita

  • Yosemite toad Anaxyrus canorus

  • Fowler’s toad Anaxyrus fowleri

  • Great Basin spadefoot Spea intermontana

  • Great plains toad Anaxyrus cognatus

  • Western toad Anaxyrus boreas

  • and more…

Height

40in is the product height most commonly used with Turtles

Standard above-ground installed height 22in / 550mm (with anti-climb and anti-dig lips)

We have various fencing products suitable for toads

Temporary

Recommended for short-term projects between 1-5 years but has an anticipated lifespan of 25 years.

Guide Price: $4ft/ CAD$18pm

Semi-permanent

Recommended for long-term projects of approximately 15 years but has an anticipated lifespan of 50 years.

Guide Price: $9ft/ CAD$40pm

Permanent

Recommended for long-term projects of approximately 25 years but has an anticipated lifespan of 50 years.

Guide Price: $30ft/ CAD$150pm

Guide prices are based on Animex fencing material and standard fixings and fasteners. This does not include support posts or installation. AMX-48 or a smaller unlisted or customised product may be more appropriate for some projects. Please contact us if you have any concerns or questions about the height or type of fence that is best for your project.

FENCE SELECTOR

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