Palmate Newt
Thank you for the fantastic response to yesterday's Haweswater blip, you are all super kind.
Today we're at the other end of the spectrum with this tiny little lady.
Newts and lizards are notoriously hard to id and sex, so here are some simple UK field study guidelines that have worked for me:
If it's not injured and you can catch it - its probably not a lizard (as they're really fast & newts are really slow), if it is a lizard, it's a Vivaparous (Common) unless you found it in sand (Sand Lizard) or it looks like a snake (Slowworm).
Lizards have 5 front toes, Newts have 4.
If it's a newt then chances are it's either a Smooth or a Palmate. The third UK type, the Great Crested is noticeably bigger, darker and often angrier.
Of the Smooth and the Palmate the palmate is smaller (6-9cm, as opposed to 7-11cm).
Palmates usually don't have a spotted throat (this & size are the most reliable id)
Male newts tend to have very colourful undersides, the ladies are usually cream.
Males will develop a crest and a filament (spike) on their tail at breeding season, females may appear plump due to carrying unfertilised eggs.
So this little lady?
4 toes
Tiny - the Moss stem in this pic was 5mm
Cream underneath
No spots on throat
Looked quite plump
Edit - a shout from downstairs alerted me to a visitor in our hallway - so I've added this little chap - as the mating season begins you can clearly see he is growing his crest and the filament on his tail is starting to show. His belly had vibrant little orange spots too.
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