What’s happening on our reserves right now …
By Jackie Robinson
It’s starting to be the time when frogs and newts are looking for places to mate and lay eggs or spawn. Some reports are that frogspawn has been spotted in ponds two weeks earlier than usual.
On our local nature reserves there is recorded evidence of three types of newt and the Langdyke reserves are known to have welcoming wet areas favoured by the Great-crested newt although these protected creatures do like to keep themselves well hidden.
The first Swaddywell newt count of 2024 has already been done.
The photo (above) is of juvenile smooth newts. It was taken last year by Sarah Lambert at Swaddywell.
The Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) (March – October)
An amphibian that breeds in ponds in the spring but spends most of its life in woodland, hedgerows and marshy grassland areas feeding on invertebrates and then hibernating underground in rocky old walls and among tree roots where they can rest undiscovered.
The Great-crested newt is almost black in colour, with warty spotted skin and a striking orange belly. It is the largest of our newts. During the breeding season the males have a long, wavy crest along the body and tail, the clue being in their name. Out of the water this crest is not always immediately visible as it can flop to the side, but their dark colour is distinctive.
The Smooth or Common newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) (March – October)
If you see newts in your garden pond they are most likely to be the Smooth newt or as it is also known the Common newt. A grey-brown in colour, with an orange belly and black spots the males have a smooth crest running the full length of their body and tail during the breeding season.
Smooth newts are good for the garden as they eat insects, caterpillars, worms and slugs while on land, although if you have frogs, beware, they also like to eat tadpoles when in the water. They are most active after dark.
The Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) (March – October)
On the other end of the “size scale” the palmate newt is the smallest. It has a peachy-yellow underside with a few spots on the belly. In the breeding season males can be distinguished from the smooth newt by the black webbing on their hind feet. Preferring shallow pools on acidic soil this species is more commonly found on heath and moorland habitats. They are, however, recorded locally.
Note: All three species of newt are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 and therefore can only be handled by licensed, trained people.