French in a hole as toads halt Europe's biggest M-way project / SUSAN BELL / IN PARIS
A COLONY of poisonous yellow-bellied toads have brought the construction of Europe's largest motorway project to a sudden halt, only 50 kilometres short of its completion.
The road, which will cross France from Bordeaux in the west to Lyon in the east, goes through the Bernand valley, where the toads, whose official name is bombina variegata, are found.
The valley is home to several other rare species, including the woodlark, northern harrier and the red-backed shrike, but it is the toad that has been adopted by environmentalists fighting to stop the 288km motorway, which is the most expensive ever built in France.
What is wrong with American environmentalists?
They have not championed any varmint over progress lately.
And they have never championed anything so despicable as a yellow bellied poisonous toad.
Have they no national pride?
Letting the French, of all people, get ahead of us.
