Newts

Although we've always had newts in the pond, they seem to be more abundant this year. Of course, the apparent increase in numbers may be down to the amount of time I now spend staring into the cool still – and somewhat weed-infested – water, particularly so since I spotted the young gilled newt earlier in the autumn. You look harder, you see more. And to an extent it's true. I do now scour the surface of the pond for them while waiting for the wood mouse or a fox to appear.

The past few nights I've seen fewer of the juveniles, but a couple of adults have been breaking the surface. They seem somewhat more tolerant of the flashlight than earlier in the year, possibly due to the much cooler temperatures we're now experiencing.

Last night

Tonight

Camera note: both shots taken with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens

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This Post Has 10 Comments

  1. chthoniid

    26 Oct 2007

    Aah, very nice. They appeared to have posed for you almost perfectly 🙂

  2. SittingFox

    26 Oct 2007

    Great shots, even more impressive when you consider how tiny these newts are! :up:

    I haven't seen them in our pond for years but that doesn't mean they're not here, of course…I must also spend more time looking for them.

  3. Words

    26 Oct 2007

    Thanks. I think these are probably migrants from our neighbour's wildlife pond. This is the first year I've seen young newts, so that's a good sign that almost total neglect of the pond creates a decent eco-system. We're waiting to spot newts in the dewpond at work. That's been established for several years now. It had frog spawn in the spring (but no sightings of frogs :(), and no sign of any newts this year. Eventually they'll find there way to it.

  4. SittingFox

    28 Oct 2007

    I'm doing some temp work right now to hold myself over until I either find something more relevant to my interests or go back to uni, and one of the places I ended up at last week apparently has great crested newts in its grounds! :eyes: I'll have to see if I can find them.

  5. Flying Red Fox Blog

    28 Oct 2007

    Lovelly shots there:D I wonder if they hibernate like Frogs do?

  6. Words

    28 Oct 2007

    Great crested newts! Well worth looking out for if you can. Good luck with working out your future study/work plans.

  7. SittingFox

    28 Oct 2007

    Thanks 🙂

  8. UniqueView

    29 Oct 2007

    G'day words, sorry I haven't popped in here lately but there was the famous "unique view computer crash incident" to deal with (plus mundane things like work got in the way LOL}

    Nice pics as I love frogs and amphbians in general (who doesn't :)). As you know, we don't have newts or salamanders here in Australia, I'm not sure why that's the case and would like to find the possible reasons for this. Any thoughts?

    Cheers:cheers:
    Pete

  9. Words

    29 Oct 2007

    Pete, I didn't know that you didn't have newts over there. Maybe it would have been a slightly better import than the cane toad. They seem to do well round your part of the world!

  10. UniqueView

    29 Oct 2007

    Nope no salamanders either, just frogs and toads. You're right about the cane toad 'though, one of the worst environmental pests over here. They're migrating across the country at an alarming rate and are putting some species under real pressure. We have a carnivorous marsupial called the Northern Quoll which is dying out everywhere that the two species come into contact with each other. I believe they're not a problem in their natural habitat as the animals that have evolved with them don't try to eat them, but our critters just see them as another froggy snack and pay the price. Not to mention how they displace our native amphibians as the cane toad tadpole enjoys feeding on the eggs of other frog and toad species

    🙁

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