Shakespeare’s witches in Macbeth famously required “Eye of newt, and toe of frog” for their cauldron. Debate lingers over whether this references the amphibian’s body part or a herbalist’s term for mustard seeds.
In our garden pond, we have plenty of common newts, but today at the National Trust’s Bridestones property, I encountered my first great crested newt. I was helping survey the health of four of their six ponds when, quite unexpectedly, one of these elusive creatures appeared.
Great crested newts are very particular in their requirements, spending most of their lives on land, hence protecting their terrestrial habitat is as crucial as conserving the water bodies. They favour hedgerows and boggy grassland for hunting invertebrates during summer and autumn and need safe hidden spaces to lie dormant in winter. While not fully hibernating, they seek out muddy banks or compost heaps to weather the colder months. They will travel up to a kilometre to find the right pond, making their presence a strong indicator of water source health. Although Bridestones’ ponds fall within this range, much of the intervening land is improved grassland grazed by sheep, forming oases in vast deserts of grass.
The males’ characteristic crests will have been re-absorbed post-mating season. Juvenile newts, called ‘efts’ from the Old English ‘ewt,’ were found in all the ponds, though their species were not identified.
The great crested newt’s Latin name is Triturus cristatus, derived from Triton, the Greek god, son of Poseidon, and his Tritons, the satyrs of the sea.
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