Smooth Newt - Larvae still around in September

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Larvae still around in September

Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: Herpetofauna Native to the UK
Forum Name: Smooth Newt
Forum Description: Forum for all issues concerning Triturus vulgaris
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=735
Printed Date: 18 Apr 2024 at 1:15am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Larvae still around in September

Posted By: Mike
Subject: Larvae still around in September
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2004 at 11:48am

Decided to clean up some of the vegetation in our pond on the basic premise that most if not all of the wildlife will have left - wrong.

Found 6 large frogs and over 30 common newt larvae, the frogs looked after themselves, the newts were carefully stored and returned a an hour or so later.

The question is is it normal to have so many larvae so late in the year and in such numbers ?. We have not seen adults since mid June.

The pond is about 3 years old, 6 x 3ft x 20ins at deepest. Regularly gets 30+ frogs breeding in the spring and we counted at least 30 adult newts this spring as well.

Mike.

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Britains smallest Country Park ? - http://www.brickfieldspark.org" rel="nofollow - Brickfields Country Park
http://www.soemtron.org" rel="nofollow - Soemtron

Replies:

Posted By: evilmike
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2004 at 1:00pm

iam still finding palmate larva in the pond still with feathery gills, should overwinter and be out early next year getting a headstart on there latest siblings, same with frog tadpoles, some just take that bit longer to complete metamorphsis. most adults have left usually cant not see them with a torch but proving differcult to locate at mo, as for adult froggies there still all over the place, just creating some more hibernation sites for them hope they apprieciate it, usually do :)

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Mike Lister BSc hons Ecology & Env management

Posted By: MartinK
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2005 at 10:53am

Just discovered this website while looking for information to help me understand the newts in my own garden pond.

I too found it unusual to see small newt larvae actively swimming about in November 2004. I haven't seen them in the last 4 to 6 weeks and am guessing they are still in the pond but now inactive.

If this is of interest see http://www.newts.mjking.org/ - www.newts.mjking.org for details and a photo.

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Martin.

Posted By: Mick
Date Posted: 29 Aug 2005 at 1:58am

Majority might've left but in my pond in september i'll usually still have some Smooth newt larvaes, in fact even in october i'll often still have a few left in my pond, & the odd one, or two even over winters in there. We're just about to enter september & yesterday i was a little surprised to see i've got at least one adult Smooth newt -a male- still happily swimming about in my pond! I presume he's not just recently got in. Having said that, i think it's only maybe october, november & possibly december that i don't think i've previously recorded any adult Smooths in my pond here in north Oxfordshire. A few Palmates (introduced 8y'rs ago) might be in there then though. Smooth newts usually begin returning to my pond in february, but sometimes in january there'll already be around half a dozen, or so arrivals in there!

Posted By: calumma
Date Posted: 29 Aug 2005 at 12:50pm

When I was in Wales recently (21st Aug), I found several smooth/palmate
eggs. More interesting, a friend told me that last year the Derbyshire Wildlife
Trust found toads spawning in August. I'm trying to coax him into posting
the story on RAUK...

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Lee Brady

Kent Herpetofauna Recorder | Independent Ecological Consultant

mailto:recorder@calummaecologicalservices.co.uk - Email

Posted By: Chris Rose
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2006 at 5:45pm

One newt larva, all four legs fully developed and gills very small, seen 7 p.m. today (7/4/06) and earlier yesterday afternoon in quite open positions in a fairly shaded, black butyl-lined pond on my allotment site in NW Bristol. Presume overwintered in larval state. No sign of any adults in this pond, in which the water is crystal-clear, or this-season eggs. Several newt larvae seen in this pond in June 2005. Could have come in as eggs on the introduced water plants - Ceratophyllum, Elodea and Callitriche. Or they could be 'native' to the site. I found 1 adult newt on my neighbouring plot many years ago.Yesterday (6/4/06) found 2 adult female and one two-thirds-sized adult male Palmate newts in other ponds at the far end of the site. Will endeavour to see if any Smooth Newts about.

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Chris Rose