Dead Toads - help

[blackkitty]

We have two ponds in our garden, one with fish and wildlife and one just for wildlife. We're suddenly finding a number of dead toads in the big one.
We've had six in two weeks and a dead newt. The pond itself seems fine, there are thousands of tadpoles who are thriving and the fish are healthy as are the plants. I know you get casualties of the mating process but this seems like far too many. The corpses are intact, no wounds that would indicate cats etc, no red legs and they don't look emaciated (one of the other warning signs I found on frog watch) I'm feeling completely helpless
I'm going to see my neighbours behind me tonight as my other neighbours say they might have put rat poison down in their garden as they found a dead rat in the brook behind us. I've instructed the local kids to tell me if they find any dead animals in the brook but nothing since Sunday.
Any suggestions please.

[Nicos]

Such a waste isn't it??

As you say- they often suffocate each other while piled up on top of each other whilst mating- male on male as well as female.

That would have been my first thought

[smallblueplanet]

Contact environmental health at your local council and ask for help/advice - not good if its rat poison being put down unsafely.

[Two_Sheds]

They can suffocate if the pond freezes over.
Roundup (glyphosate) is toxic to amphibians.

[blackkitty]

Thanks for the replies, I've spoken to someone at frogwatch who said its possible it is redleg or something similar in which case you just have to let it run its course, apparently it doesn't affect the tadpoles and they carry on as normal.
I am going to see the neighbours later as the local kids have found a dead fox in the brook.

[FB.]

Are the newts, frogs and toads able to get out of the pond easily?

[IgglePiggle]

Maybe someone poisoned the brook, I would contact council