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Is this a crestie?

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martin g View Drop Down
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    Posted: 28 Apr 2007 at 9:50am

I am convinced, but does anyone wish to comment?  the pic doesnt do its yellow colour justice but take it from me it is brighter in real light.  The eye convinced me, and also that there are smoothie/palmate young in the same place and they are clearly different being darker brown and not so elongated at this one. 



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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Apr 2007 at 2:35pm
Hello Martin

I'd say yes, given the strongly contrasting black stripes on yellow background; if you see any larger larvae 'suspended' in the water column hoovering up the Daphnia etc then this will confirm it.

Will
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martin g View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote martin g Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Apr 2007 at 11:24am

Thanks Will. Yes Its pretty definite.  The next three pics confirm this, the colour is better but also in the last pic i have shown the crestie egg next to a palmate/smooth newt egg. This for me confirms things, as you can all see they are quite different in size and colour.



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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Apr 2007 at 12:26pm
Definitely a crestie egg from the size of the capsule - nice photo comparison there

Will
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Matt Harris View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Matt Harris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2007 at 3:07am
I use this sequence of crestie development to show people what they look like. Only trouble is, there's no scale on it to show sizes. Saying that, I took some photos of a well-developed egg last year and there was no real consensus as to the ID. I guess you can't always tell from a photo.



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martin g View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote martin g Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2007 at 5:35am

Those are excellent slides Matt thanks.  I did measure the eggs I found, came in at 5-6mm for the Cresties as compared to the 3-4mm of the 'other' species. Of course those measurments are at late development of the emryo so no doubt they would be a touch smaller when freshly laid. Seems the black and yellow appearance however is quite clearly different from the darker brown to light brown of the other newt young. 

Found these incidently by accident, stopped to chat to some kids pond dipping and they showed me thier haul (which was returned, I made sure of that).  I had heard there may be cresties around but had never seen the evidence and when I took the time to look harder I noticed hundreds of yellow dots on the plants in the shallows, seems a good crop of eggs had been laid. The kids gave me stories of 'accidental' transfer too, one of thier friends parents had borrowed some cuttings of the pond weeds and planted out his pond at home only to discover eggs wrapped in the leaves later.  But, apparently the newts thrived in the garden.  This got me to thinking about the law etc, there is nothing to stop accidental transfer by people who just arent informed like we are.  When I was a kid, we used to pond dip and take all sorts of creatures home and introduce them to our ponds. The home I grew up in has a great frog, toad and newt population in its garden now which were all introduced by the innocent me when I was 10 years old.  I guess its actually a 'natural' event in the true sense, humans moving fauna around for fun or farming.  My school even had some cresties in a tank which were taken from a local pond I believe.

Just think how many GCN are moved or introduced to garden ponds by unknowing children every year, just like those kids I bumped into last week.  Could it be argued that it actually helps the species in many cases??  I guess the law is more directed or rather enfirced at construction and larger scale removal of GCN habitat.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darlington_gcn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2007 at 8:35am
thanks for that crestie guide - saved it as will come in useful to me!
Working on a 12 month conservation project with Durham Wildlife Trust and Darlington Borough Council on Great Crested Newts. Any help/advice appreciated - rjackson@durhamwt.co.uk
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Matt Harris View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Matt Harris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2007 at 8:48am
I should point out the crestie development guide is not my work - it belongs to a researcher in the states who studies development in Triturus spp. If I can remember her full name (Tara something) I'll post it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Matt Harris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2007 at 9:01am
That's it, Tara N Edwards from Canada (near enough)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Liz Heard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Apr 2010 at 2:13pm
hi martin g,
i agree with much of what you said. if accidental or otherwise, transfer of newt eggs results in thriving garden populations elsewhere that extend species range, then surely we should welcome it.
its not as if everyones going to start doing it. very few people want newt eggs. quite a few people dont care about the species at all. thats the very reason we ARE losing habitat.
as traditional haunts are being lost our gardens may even prove to be vital genetic reservoirs for reintroductions etc in the future.
when governments and the public finally wake up.

the law should be concerned with protecting existing populations, ponds etc
not punishing (by prosecuting) the small minority that are actually HELPING the depressing situation by esablishing new colonies elsewhere.
the Act needs updating.
yours, ben
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