- Lifespan
- 12–15 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 24–60 mm body length; 9–15 g
- Habitat
- Sandy heathland, coastal dunes, shingle banks, and shallow temporary pools with sparse vegetation.
- UK Distribution
- Confined to south-west England (primarily Devon and Cornwall) and the Norfolk coast; resident with declining range due to habitat loss.
- Diet
- Carnivorous; feeds on small invertebrates including beetles, ants, spiders, woodlice, and other arthropods.
- Prey
- Beetles, ants, spiders, woodlice, small insects
- Predators
- Grass snakes, common toads, herons, foxes, and badgers.
- Mating Season
- April to June
- Breeding
- Males produce loud, distinctive trilling calls to attract females. Females lay long gelatinous strings of 4,000–7,000 eggs in shallow pools. Tadpoles metamorphose in 6–8 weeks.
- Behaviour
- Natterjacks are highly vocal, with males producing a loud rattling call during breeding season that can be heard up to 1 km away. They are more terrestrial than other UK toads and move actively across open ground. They are primarily nocturnal.