Newt identification please.

[retired]

Cleaning out half of my pond today (it's split in to halves so I can protect what's in there by moving them over to the other half) and came across a few Frogs, Toads, Newts, nothing unusual but two or three of the Newts caught my eye.

If I can get the photos to attach,



Are these what I think they are ???

[Dogghound]

Great Crested Newts. Its best to avoid handling these as they are protected and have a whole lot of legislation surrounding them and their habitat. In this case the best thing to do is to make sure the pond is back to normal and try to avoid to much disturbance, spring is not an ideal time to clean ponds due to amphibians breeding in them. Late summer would be better.

[retired]

Thanks Dogghound, that's what I thought they might be.

I'm well aware of the legislation, that's why I wanted a second opinion.

Obviously I'll miminise the disturbance - I transferred them to the other half of the pond which won't be touched this year (pond is designed in two halves just for this reason) but on an aside, we had a big arguement with the council last year over a development in the village only 200m from me where people claimed they might be living (old ponds etc, evidence of them 1km away) but the council claimed they had sent in a "specialist" who found no evidence. I checked my pond last year and also found no sign of them just the ordinary stuff.

I'll look after them despite the council.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by retired

Thanks Dogghound, that's what I thought they might be.

I'm well aware of the legislation, that's why I wanted a second opinion.

Obviously I'll miminise the disturbance - I transferred them to the other half of the pond which won't be touched this year (pond is designed in two halves just for this reason) but on an aside, we had a big arguement with the council last year over a development in the village only 200m from me where people claimed they might be living (old ponds etc, evidence of them 1km away) but the council claimed they had sent in a "specialist" who found no evidence. I checked my pond last year and also found no sign of them just the ordinary stuff.

I'll look after them despite the council.

I suggest that you contact your local ecological data center and report their presence. This will ensure that all searches for data in your area will register the fact that they are there, and must be considered when planning decisions are made. You don't say where you are, but if you can say what area you are in, I am sure someone will be able to you who to contact.

[retired]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

I suggest that you contact your local ecological data center and report their presence. This will ensure that all searches for data in your area will register the fact that they are there, and must be considered when planning decisions are made. You don't say where you are, but if you can say what area you are in, I am sure someone will be able to you who to contact.

I'm IP19 ***

Rural Suffolk.

If there was someone I could contact, I would.

The Council just weren't interested when me, and several others near the development. said there was evidence.
In my case, it's only just today that I now have the "evidence". Last year when all the applications were going through I just had all the usual species.

[dampflippers]

You could tell the local ARG group who will tell you who the local recorder is.
ARG-UK - Amphibian & Reptile Group of United Kingdom

ALSO fill in the recording form on the website RAUK On-Line Record Form

While you are on the internet, fill in the Froglife pond survey form Froglife - Frogwatch

You should be able to go out with a torch at night to see if there are many visible. As long as it's not too powerful it shouldn't disturb them.

[dampflippers]

Just a thought: had the development been carried out? If not you should definitely tell the local ARG group and see what they suggest.

[cockneysparrow1]

wow id love to have them in my garden, your very lucky. how big is your pond and whats the layout of it, please?

[retired]

First dampflippers, thanks for the links.
I'll do the forms over the weekend.
Re. the development, it hasn't actually started as such, he couldn't raise enough money and is waiting to sell a property opposite us (where the access is going to be) to raise cash.
BUT, he did do a lot of "groundwork" last Summer.
It's basically the back of a farm where he got permission for 5 houses even though it's behind another property (backfilling) and the Parish Council were over-ruled by the District Council. The site includes an ancient "Moat" - now a natural pond - and part of the build required it being partially filled in.
The Parish Council had evidence of Greater Crested Newts in a natural pond at the other end of the village (about 1km away) so argued the same should apply at this end.
The District Council (in answering all the objections) said they had sent in someone for both an archeological survey and an environmental survey and found no evidence of either a "moat" or Greater Crested Newts. The most local neighbour who overlooks the land says they were both turned away by the farmer claiming Health and Safety (he had already started work without permission so there were diggers and a concrete crusher on site).

Now there were DEFINATELY none of these in my pond(s) last time I cleaned one about two years ago, just normal Frogs, Toads and Newts.

Is it possible they were disturbed from their natural environment last year and did a 200-300m journey to find somewhere new ???

[cockneysparrow1]

they can travel upto 500m to find new breeding grounds.