# What are these little fellas?



## Hammer Man (Apr 1, 2006)

Decided to tidy the garden up this morning and when I lifted a pot of compost up to get rid of, found these cute fellas underneath. The rain obviously drains through the pot of compost and out drainage holes in the bottom creating a nice damp area for them. I've decided not to get rid of the compost now as it is doing no harm where it is and if they like it it may as well stay!


100_4219 by Jimothy_Bobbins, on Flickr


100_4217 by Jimothy_Bobbins, on Flickr


100_4218 by Jimothy_Bobbins, on Flickr


100_4220 by Jimothy_Bobbins, on Flickr


100_4221 by Jimothy_Bobbins, on Flickr


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## white (May 16, 2009)

they are newts.


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## Hammer Man (Apr 1, 2006)

Thanks, any idea what sort of newts?


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## Amy2310 (Feb 28, 2011)

I could be wrong but I think they're Great Crested Newt
Great Crested Newt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## jamesthornton (Nov 24, 2008)

I agree they are Great Crested Newts, in the first picture the smaller one is the male, larger being female. (You can see the small depression in the middle off the back on the female).

These are a protected species and will live on land and hibernate in winter from September ish. Do you have a pond in your garden?


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## CreepyCrawler (Jul 11, 2010)

Lucky sod, never even seen a native newt let alone have some hanging out in my garden.


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

Yeh they are newts alright! 
Lucky you!
Do you have a pond in your garden??


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## Hammer Man (Apr 1, 2006)

Nope, no pond in my garden. I live on a new estate and as far as I know, nobody has a pond near me... I wonder how far these guys can wonder away from thier pond. It is nice and damp under thier so perhaps they have been there for a while? The compost has been sat there for a year now without being moved. Cool little creatures aren't they, I was very surprised when I saw them!


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## jamesthornton (Nov 24, 2008)

I'm wondering whether it might be worth contacting your local Wildlife Trust/ Herpetology Group. A new estate was built just outside of town around here and for a while they had these black plastic fences around the entire estate, and someone told me it was to keep GC Newts out.


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## Matt Harris (Aug 21, 2007)

100% GCNs, when on land they normally live within 1Km of their breeding pond so there must be one nearby. Contact ARG-UK to find your nearest Amphibian and Reptile Group who will be really interested to hear of your find.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

How special!!! Congrats! Definitely contact the people mentioned, though...


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Wish i could find some of those in my garden! :2thumb: 

You are very lucky!


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## Big Red One (Oct 17, 2007)

Awesome!

As others have said, definitely worth getting them 'checked out'....

:2thumb:


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## tonydavo (Mar 10, 2008)

Big Red One said:


> Awesome!
> 
> As others have said, definitely worth getting them 'checked out'....
> 
> :2thumb:


BRO we found loads of these out at Rixton 8 years ago on some land about to be used for building. Big issues stopping the habitat being distroyed but we sorted it :2thumb:


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