In article , Miss Perspicacia
Tick writes
bigjon wrote:
batgirl decided to add:

Found this...

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/smooth_newt.htm

Clare

"bigjon" wrote in message
...
We were cleaning out the pumps on our pond this week and came across
this -
http://www.topqualityfreeware.com/lizzie.html
It was about three inches long, nose to tip of tail, and played
dead until released into the water. We are presuming it's a common
newty type thing, but as we've only had the pond a couple of years
we are wondering...
We now know there are a couple of these above at least, maybe more
along with a shedfull of frogs and countless tadpoles!

Thanks anybody that can help !!

Yes - I'm sure it's a common newt now - I just love this, having
wildlife in the Garden !!
Thank you.

It isn't a Common Newt - it's not big enough - it's a Palmate.

I'm not sure size is adequate by itself to distinguish, at least this
way round - smooth (common) newts grow from about one inch, so have to
pass three inches on the way. It seems to be the underside that
distinguishes - for example

From: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/palmate_newt.htm

"It can be very difficult to distinguish the Palmate Newt from the
Smooth Newt (Triturus vulgaris). Smooth Newts tend to be larger,
typically 8-11 cm in length. Male smooth newts have a much more
developed wavy crest on their backs in the breeding season and no tail
filament, they have a rounder body than Palmates Newts which appear
square in cross-section. The most consistent difference is that Palmate
newts usually do not have spotted or speckled throats."

and from:

"The Palmate Newt is Britain’s other small brown newt. It is not quite
as big as the Smooth Newt, rarely exceeding 6cm. Adult females are
difficult to distinguish from female Smooth Newts, the best way to tell
them apart is the fact that the throat of the Smooth Newt is spotted and
that of the Palmate newt is plain pink or yellow. The male, in breeding
condition, has a low crest along the middle of the back, a filament at
the tip of the tail and black webs on the back feet. The dark markings
at the side of the head are more distinct in the Palmate Newt. Whilst
widely distributed, the Palmate Newt has a distinct preference for
shallow ponds on acid soils. It is therefore most commonly found on
heathland in the south and west, and in the north on moorland and bogs."

and finally a picture on
http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/smooth_newt.htm

which is captioned

"Ventral surface of a male Smooth Newt, showing the spotted throat that
helps to distinguish them from the similar Palmate Newt."


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"