UBC researchers have found more than 5 million amphibians and reptiles were displaced by development in British Columbia in just four years – and there’s no requirement to monitor survival rate.
The paper published in the Journal of Wildlife Management is the first of its kind to document the large-scale herpetofauna relocation taking place in the province. Researchers analyzed 629 provincial permits between 2019 and 2022. Of those, 227 reported 5.1 million relocations. Amphibians accounted for 99% of the movements – with the western toad relocated the most.
“Our study shows not only how heavily we rely on this practice, but also raises a bigger question: what happens next?”, said Megan Winand, lead author and recent MSc graduate from UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. “With no legal requirement to monitor outcomes of relocations there’s limited evidence on whether these efforts actually support long-term survival of population persistence.”
Translocation is standard practice in B.C.
Amphibians and reptiles are among the most threatened groups of vertebrates globally. In B.C. - the most biologically diverse province in Canada - they serve as sensitive indicators of ecosystem health. As development pressures increase, translocation has become a default mitigation tool in the province. In Alberta and Ontario, translocation of at-risk species of herpetofauna is restricted, while the practice is rarely used in the Martimes.
The highest number of translocations in B.C. occurred during large-scale infrastructure development. Pipelines, railways, bridges, and water systems were among the leading drivers.
The authors note that despite the enormous scale of this activity, its effectiveness remains entirely unknown. Post-relocation monitoring is not legally required, which means there is no data to determine whether relocated animals survive or populations persist.
“This research highlights a critical gap in how we manage herpetofauna threatened by major developments,” said Dr. Tara Martin, co-author of the study and professor in the department of forest and conservation sciences at UBC. “Translocation decision-making must be grounded in evidence - and right now, we are making consequential choices for millions of amphibians without the data to know whether they survive.”
Stronger enforcement of habitat avoidance
The authors call for habitat avoidance as the first line of protection - prioritizing early project decisions such as rerouting infrastructure or redesigning crossings to prevent impacts altogether.
“Where development impacts cannot be avoided, there should also be greater investment in habitat restoration and creation,” said Winand. “Simply moving amphibians and reptiles does not address the underlying loss of the habitat these species depend on.”
The authors recommend implementing mandatory reporting and post-relocation monitoring as a legal requirement for translocations in British Columbia. Without this data, it’s impossible to know whether these species survive relocations and it restricts the practice from improving over time.
Interview language: English (Winand, Martin).
Journal of Wildlife Management
Observational study
Animals
Scale of herpetofauna mitigation translocationin British Columbia, Canada
14-Apr-2026