In the outskirts of Frankfurt in Germany, six dogs are being trained to do an important job - searching for endangered species on construction sites.

German rail company Deutsche Bahn recruited them to take up the hunt for things such as rare toads, snakes, bats, lizards and other creatures.

"The law requires us to identify the possible presence of protected species," said Jens Bergmann, director of infrastructure projects at Deutsche Bahn's network subsidiary.

"We then either have to protect them on-site or find a new habitat for them."  

Before these dogs joined the team, humans were responsible for locating the animals.

The specialists could take up to a year for them to find and move the animals. But once trained, the dogs will be able to find them in around two months.

According to Deutsche Bahn, they have already relocated around 12,000 animals.

And not doing this work could result in some hefty consequences.

Last year, Elon Musk had to suspend construction of a factory outside Berlin because of protected snakes and lizards.