A Very Lucky Toad

I stepped out my back door this morning and nearly stepped on this little fellow!  You can see how small he is perched on my husband's hand.
Common toads secrete an irritant from their skin that prevents most predators from wanting to eat them. Unfortunately for the toads however, a few predators, such as grass snakes and hedgehogs, don't seem to be deterred. If they avoid getting gobbled by a snake or hedgehog, toads can live for up to 40 years!
So, before you get the mower or strimmer out, have a good look round and make sure the area is toad-free! 
Anyone who saw my previous blip about the volunteering we did for Toadwatch https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2160518991460697984
will be pleased to hear that the strip of road that we, (and the other Toadwatch volunteers) patrolled near the village of Hempstead resulted in over 2,500 toads being rescued from the road and helped to their breeding pond.