Thousands of tiny toads are hopping around in the Okanagan area after a mass migration brought the giant population to an upper elevation lake.
A massive knot of Western toads came to rest at Lambly Lake, approximately 36 kilometres northwest of Kelowna. There are so many of the tiny hoppers that campers staying at the lake are unable to get to the water without stepping on them.
Western toads are common west of the Rockies, favouring "semi-arid and wet forested regions of B.C.," according to the provincial Ministry of Environment.
Every year, the amphibians migrate to communal breeding sites in wetlands like the one at Lambly Lake between April and July.
The toads lay eggs, which hatch into tadpoles, and grow into toadlets by the end of the summer. The bodies of Western toads can grow to between 5.5 and 14.5 centimetres in length.
Dense piles of toads and toadlets are common along the shores of breeding sites. At times, there are so many in an area that they cover the lakes' shore lines like a living carpet.
"The road is black, and it's just hopping all the way to the water," a visitor to Lambly Lake said.
The knots are deep as well as wide, with the dark-coloured toads and young toadlets clambering on top of each other.
Experts say they form the living piles for protection, as open areas leave the toads exposed to the sun.
"The roads are not natural and could be problematic," amphibian expert Richard Wassersug told CTV News. The ministry says the toads also cluster together for warmth if the temperature dips.
Despite the abundance of amphibians at Lambly, the Western toad species' numbers are believed to be on the decline. They are a protected species of concern here, and have disappeared from broad areas of the U.S.
"At this one site, the toads do not need help, but in other places they do because animals would kill them" Wassersug explained.
The province of B.C. is monitoring their habitats and tracking populations over time to learn more about how to help the species.
