Got my first newts....

[Red Robin]

I'm very ignorant about newts. I created a small wildlife (no fish) pond last June and currently it's inhabited by water snails, water hoglice, tadpoles just emerging, damselfly nymphs, plus the usual plants you'd expect.

I have built a rockery with alpine perennial plants adjacent on one side and there is a log pile close by and plenty of unkempt long grass etc.



A few weeks ago I thought I spotted what looked like the head of a small frog poking through some greenery but it saw me and scooted off fast.

Today I was spending time observing my emerging tadpoles and suddenly spotted a newt crawl over a pale rock and then become camouflaged on the silt covered gravel on the bottom. Dark olive colour with feet with very spread out toes almost looking like suckers (Gecko style).

It looked very much like this one [pic borrowed from another WABer]:

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ar..._2846031_n.jpg

But slimmer and with a much more wavy tail. Had distinct pale facial stripes not unlike some frog's. Then lo and behold it was joined by another one which looked larger and was more active - I thought I saw a wavy crest along its back but cannot be sure. They both took shelter out of sight together. Difficult to size but the smaller first one looked about 90mm overall (I'm naturally good at judging measurements accurately).

Do they go around in pairs? Hibernate on land or in water?

I'm naturally quite excited. I'm wondering how my tadpoles (frogspawn introduced from very nearby) will fare with these two predators - Plenty to go round and still survive? What will be will be.

[Kayleigh]

Wow lucky you..

The male will get a crest (this is what you saw) at this time of t
he year in the breeding season.
The females will be obviously fat due to the amount of eggs she is carrying.
The male will do a fan dance wafting pheromones her way its fun to watch..
I think they may be smooth newts watch for her to curl a leaf round when laying her single egg she will lay one at a time and lay about 200 all through the summer..
Go out at night with a torch and count how many you can spot.

PS..
your tadpole population will drastically decrease but its all about nature and balance..

[Red Robin]

Yes, the larger one (crested I think but can't be absolutely sure) was very actively swishing his(?) tail around alongside the smaller one though she(?) didn't look especially fat/pregnant.

How big are the eggs I'm looking for? Relative to a single frogspawn egg.

I thought I saw a third one following them but am not sure.

I'll be out with hat and coat and mega zillion watt torch tonight!

I shan't be interfering with the tadpole balance - Afterall it why frogs lay so many eggs.

[Kayleigh]

Newt eggs are tiny white eggs and usually attached to or rolled up in leaves of pond plants so you dont normally see them like you do frogspawn.

[Red Robin]

Thx for that info. I assume you mean plant leaves which are underwater?

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

Thx for that info. I assume you mean plant leaves which are underwater?

Yes she will turn upside down and curl the leaf with her back legs as she lays the egg..
You will see what I mean as you sit by the pond in the sun..

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Yes she will turn upside down and curl the leaf with her back legs as she lays the egg..

You will see what I mean as you sit by the pond in the sun..

....I think that the newts are likely to think that the sun has come out when I lie alongside the pond with my zillion watt torch tonight!

I'm surprised because I didn't think I would like newts much. I'm very pleased with the pond underwater environment which I have had a hand in creating - If I was a newt I'd want to have a villa there and then the Swiss log cabin not far away.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

....I think that the newts are likely to think that the sun has come out when I lie alongside the pond with my zillion watt torch tonight!

I'm surprised because I didn't think I would like newts much. I'm very pleased with the pond underwater environment which I have had a hand in creating - If I was a newt I'd want to have a villa there and then the Swiss log cabin not far away.

I have a torch like that too but I am not going out there its freezing..
You will be hooked on newts especially when you see the efts..
Baby ones like this..


this is a pregnant female and the male with his crest these are smooth newts.

[Red Robin]

I've just been out and spent quarter of an hour on my hands and knees with the searchlight (it's mild down here).... Instantly spotted one and then the other and then.... A third!! . There may be a fourth but it could be one of them dashing very quickly around the back to pop out and make me think I'm outnumbered and surrounded!

What the searchlight very clearly showed was their markings - One is most defiantly a male Smooth Newt with extremely well defined contrasting spots and a very dark and handsome crest and is hanging out with one of the females. They are all slightly smaller than I first thought now I have observed them for longer and probably no bigger than 80mm overall. They're beautiful when they swim and look like miniature dragons. The tadpoles were all fast asleep - No movement, also the Water snails. But the Water Hog-lice were active.

No mosquito larvae yet - The water temp feels very cold.

The scale of them in my small pond seems perfect and they have so many places to hide.

They have to surface for air don't they? How long can they remain submerged? I'm gonna be watching.... It's all very exciting.

Do they also eat floating fish food? - Not on an everyday basis but I might just occasionally if it's safe.

P.S.- Thx for those pics, Kayleigh - Very helpful

[Kayleigh]

Yes they will eat the flaked fish food so will the tadpoles..
I dont know how long they stay submerged you will have to take some pics to get them properly Id,d as I am only guessing..