Great crested newt  (Triturus cristatus)

Widespread throughout northern and central Europe extending east to The Ural Mountains in Russia (6). The species has a wide distribution in Britain, but is absent from Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Wales and Scotland (6) and is generally uncommon (5). The population has undergone a very severe decline in the last 50 years (6).

This species inhabits a wide range of habitats, including farmland, woods, grasslands, dunes, quarries, industrial and 'brown-field' sites (2), within which it favours large ponds with abundant weeds and no fish (6). The habitat structure within the site such as hedgerows, varied topography and the availability of refuges in which the individuals can hide is very important and can determine whether the species can occupy a site or not (2). Occasionally they will use garden ponds (6) and commonly occur near natural springs (2). The condition of land between occupied sites is also an important factor, as many newt populations persist as metapopulations, a series of local populations between which individuals migrate (2). If there is little connectivity between patches of suitable habitat, migration will be unlikely (2).