In Philadelphia, "When Did The Toad Cross The Road" Is Almost More Important Than "Why"

The annual road-crossing migration of hundreds of toads from their normal habitats to the ponds where they breed in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Roxborough came early this year, and the off schedule resulted in quite a bit of toad carnage — the area’s Toad Detour that is set up annually had yet to be erected. A sad story — but one with a happy ending that came this week: “Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings saw an average of 2,000 toadlets crossing Port Royal towards the woods at the Schuylkill Center. Most crossed between Hagy’s Mill and Eva Street,” according to the official blog set up to chronicle the toads’ street-crossing. (Niche media will save us all, eh.) And look at how tiny those things are — “more like insects,” according to one of the toadologists! That is a fingernail that baby toad is standing on! May it ribbit its way across the road next spring without having to get past any barreling trucks.