Great crested newts

The belly markings of great crested newts are unique to the individual.

Hear This

Listen for a woodpecker drumming in woodland. The birds drill holes in rotten, hollow trunks and branches for nests, food and to claim territory.

On the move

If you’re lucky enough to have a pond in your garden, or one nearby, there’s a chance you may spot a great crested newt right about now.

In spring, these amphibians – the UK’s largest newt species – leave their terrestrial winter habitats of woodland, hedgerow, marsh, and grassland and return to their birth pond to breed.

These newts earn their name from a wavy, jagged crest that males develop along their back and tail in spring to lure a female mate.

It’s not all about looks, though. Males also perform elaborate courtship dances that are designed to waft pheromones towards passing prospective partners.

If a female is suitably impressed and mating is successful, she will later lay approximately 200 eggs wrapped inside the leaves of pond plants.

Bellies for fingerprints

Viewed from above, great crested newts have dark brown or black skin with small, wart-like bumps.

Their flanks feature white speckles, while their striking, bright yellow-orange bellies sport irregular black blotches that, like our fingerprints, are unique to the individual.

Great crested newts grow up to 17cm long and are a European protected species. Their populations are in decline, largely due to the loss of suitable pond habitat.

To find out more visit our website at hiwwt.org.uk/wildlife-explorer

One of the most common dragonflies you’re likely to see at a garden pond. If not in your garden, see them at Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve.

Many of these small warblers are summer migrants from Africa. Listen from March as they sing their name in woodland at nature reserves like Roydon Woods.

These brightly coloured butterflies with leaf-like wings are among the earliest to appear in spring. See them in gardens and at Testwood Lakes Nature Reserve.