Joanna Gilkeson, Building roads to save Yosemite toads (2020)
“ Our district is always on the lookout to add wildlife-friendly infrastructure where appropriate to ongoing projects. It is much cheaper to include it in an existing project rather than do a separate project specifically for wildlife crossings. ”
Joanna Gilkeson, Building roads to save Yosemite toads (2020)
“ October 8, 2020 - Each spring deep in the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite toads roam the alpine meadows in search of a mate. Biologists have been tracking the movements of these toads, and have noted that they travel surprisingly long distances for such small creatures. From breeding habitat to overwintering habitat, they journey nearly a mile, and in some places, the toads must cross busy highways to reach important habitat. ”
Joanna Gilkeson, Building roads to save Yosemite toads (2020)
“ Toads and toadlets (baby toads) cross the road during breeding season and to overwinter in upland habitat. Van Horne says the toads have been trying to use an existing underground drainage culvert to cross the road.“The toadlets can enter the culvert, but can’t reach the other side of the meadow. They get stuck and waste a ton of energy trying to cross the road through the culvert,” said Van Horne. “This observation told us that the toads want to cross the road and they’re trying to use the culvert to do so. ”
