Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)
There are many sites dedicated to this subject containing much scientific and legal information. Here we are simply outlining the basic facts for people to use as a source of information or reference.
The great crested newt is the largest British newt and the most threatened of its species. It is believed to be declining at a rate of 2% per year.
These newts are approximately 17cm long including body and tail. They look almost black to the naked eye, but in fact they have grey / brown colouration covered in dark spots with a wart like skin. Their undersides are more of a yellowy orange colour with black blotches. The male is easily distinguished from the female by the jagged crest which runs down
its back with a silvery blue stripe running to the end of its tail.
This little amphibian has a life span of 27 years.
The great crested newt is nocturnal thus seldom seen during the day. It is found in mainland Britain but not found in Ireland. They are widespread in south east and north west England but much rarer in Scotland, Wales and south west England.
The newt lives predominantly on land but seeks bodies of water for breeding. Its natural habitat are medium to large weedy ponds, ditches and marsh gardens situated close to scrub, hedgerows, pasture and arable land. Ideal conditions would find log piles and rocks close by. During the day the newt will be in hiding under logs, stones or vegetation.
A voracious eater, it feeds on tadpoles, froglets, worms, insect larvae and water snails while in ponds. On land it will happily munch on worms, insects and other small invertebrates.
The newt hibernates from October to February, usually on land in a damp, frost free place returning annually to their breeding ground when the water temperature has risen to allow breeding. The breeding season lasts from May to June,
during that time they will spend the day in deep water and breed during the night in shallower water laying between 30 and 500 eggs.
The decline in the numbers of this newt is due to a combination of factors, destruction of its natural habitat, pollution, a decline in the breeding ponds and insensitive management.
Conservation awareness:
It is a protected species under schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which covers England, Wales and Scotland and the Habitat Regulations Act of 1994. It is also a European Protected Species and as such it has additional protection in the UK.
If you wish to encourage newts into a wildlife area it is essential that ponds are free from fish as fish will prey on the eggs. Herons will also catch the newts.
It is an offence to:
• Intentionally kill, injure or take a great crested newt.
• Possess or control any live or dead specimen or anything derived from a great crested newt.
• Intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct access to any structure or place used for shelter or protection by a great crested newt (in practice this means both its breeding sites, and its terrestrial habitat).
• Intentionally or recklessly disturb a great crested newt while it is occupying a structure or place which it uses for that purpose.
Prior to developing land on which it is thought that the great crested newt may reside, a survey must be done English Nature and DEFRA have to be informed. Ponds have to be surveyed along with adjacent ponds as far away as 500m from the original pond.
Land within 100m radius from the ponds are also checked.
Bottle traps using 2ltr bottles are set overnight around the pond, the traps must be spaced approximately two meters apart. Bottle Traps are thought to be the most reliable traps to use. When set during the summer months the night air temperature must be +5degrees centigrade and checked first thing in the morning before temperatures rise too high.
Newts have cost developers and Councils vast sums of money in relocations and fines for not abiding by the legislation.