Common toads begin to migrate to breeding ponds in autumn. The onset of cold weather stimulates hibernation, which takes place en route in abandoned rodent burrows or in leaf litter. Migration then recommences in spring.
Adult toads use the same location year after year and over 80% of males marked as juveniles have been found to return to the pond at which they were spawned. They find their way mainly by using olfactory and magnetic cues.