Construction crews on the new Vancouver Island Highway have come across a problem they weren’t expecting—toads.

The stretch of new highway between Courtenay and Campbell River runs right through the middle of the mating grounds of the western native toad. Keddy Swamp is a prime breeding area for the toads during their mating season in late July.

Construction crews realized it could be an environmental disaster if thousands of toads tried to hop across the highway.

So they added amphibian netting to the existing wildlife fencing and installed culverts under the highway to give the toads easy access to the other side of the swamp.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) The electronic tweeting of mobile phones is so widespread that some Australian birds are mimicking the sound as part of their mating and territorial songs, bird experts says.

Australia has six so-called mimic birds, which commonly imitate sounds in nature, particularly other bird calls, as part of their mating and territorial displays.

Australia has one of the highest rates of mobile phone use.

Common Australian mimic birds are increasingly hearing the ringing of mobile phones in rural areas, Queensland Museum bird expert Greg Czechura said.

"It’s the males that are largely doing it. It means there is a male that is up to date, on the ball and has the latest sounds," he said.

Australia’s lyre bird, considered the world’s greatest mimic, also imitates the click and whirr of cameras, the buzz of chain saws and the roar of motorcycles.