Lizard ID

[andybysea]

Whilst tidying up one of my woodpile's i came across this tiny lizard? it was early morning and i take it he was sluggish due to not having warmed up yet, i picked it up place it on sheet of paper with a ten pence next to it for scale, then put it safely in the pile of wood for next year, checked on it later and it had gone, i usually get frog's and toads under my log pile's but never come across one of these before, anyone know what it is, on its underside it was pale brown with a reddish stripe running its full lenght.

First pic is of me moving it and scale pick

Second pick is in next years wood pile.

 

[robin wood]

smooth/common newt

 

[andybysea]

yep just google'd common newt picks and it does look the same, cheers Robin.

 

[Adze]

Secon... err... thirded

 

[mart]

FYI mate newts are a protected species. When it comes to certain types you are not allowed to interfere with them in any way. I have them breeding in the ponds in my garden, I think they are great and the kids love em. They will spend the winter in a log pile as they are only aquatic in the spring and early summer.

Mart.

 

[andybysea]

Mart id heard newt's where protected(didnt know about no interference in any way) but i though it was safer to move it to a pile of logs im not going to be using this year, (only 20ft from one being used) as i was chopping, sorting,and clearing the other pile to make room for some bags of coal, and it would have stood a large chance of getting squashed.

 

[mart]

Quite right mate better to be safe than sorry. Off the top of my head i think its the great crested newts that are most protected. I've read that garden ponds are becoming a safe haven for newts as more and more land is f---ed up by modern farming methods.

 

[scrubcutter]

It's just the Great Crested Newt that has the full protection (not even allowed to handle them without a DEFRA license).

Smooth and Palmate Newts just have basic protection, i.e., you're not allowed to deliberately harm or kill them and you're not allowed to sell them as pets, etc.

 

[Siberianfury]

Thats a palmate newt, theyre great little creatures, nice find

 

[badgeringtim]

Nope I think its a smooth )

The first pic does look a little like it has webbed feet on the left foot but it has not.