Smooth newt?

[nikolai_avenger]

Hello..

By a process of elimination I believe I have seen a smooth newt this morning, between a scrub/marsh/field and an offshoot/drainage ditch of the river Trent (near Castle Donington). It was sitting motionless on the cycle path but pointed towards the water.

At first glance I thought it was a common lizard but upon closer inspection (it allowed me to get quite close and remained stationery throughout) it clearly wasn't a lizard.

It was perhaps 8 or 10 cms long, bronze(ish) in colour, with a single dark stripe down the spine. I have cross referenced with some pictures on th'interweb and WAB and am 90% sure it would have been a male smooth newt - would I be correct in that assumption?

Any input appreciated. Cheers. Nik.

[Johnny81]

Could possibly be. Some male smooth newts are in breeding now and develop a wavy crest and to me they look bigger than the usual smooth newt, what was the skin like? Smooth or warty? I was surveying them only yesterday, seen all sorts of smooth newt shapes and sizes.

[nikolai_avenger]

Hello..

Thanks for the quick reply.

I have a superb close-up picture of it here, on my phone, but frustratingly I don't have any kind of internet capability on the phone so I can't upload it.

I can tell you that the newt was very smooth, with just a hint of a crest along the spine/tail. The legs/tail were quite orange but the body a dull bronze ish, with a pale underside. I imagine there is a certain degree of variation from individual to individual though.

Any further info appreciated!

Cheers. Nik.

[Johnny81]

Here are some of my pics, some good-some not (on a camera phone, whilst holding netting equipment), don't know if they will help, classic breeding male in later pictures, internet pictures or others pictures will be better though:

[nikolai_avenger]

Aye, it was similar to that shown in your first and second pictures.

Thanks for your help/input, much appreciated.

Cheers. Nik.

[dampflippers]

Did you move it out of harms way?

[nikolai_avenger]

Indeed I did.