Please help to identify this creature.

[Mr Tom]

Evening all,

What is this in the pics below? I found it wandering around on the patio. There is a pond next door so thought it may be a newt, but from the pics I have found they seem to have black spots. Based in Somerset if that makes a difference.

Cheers

[Big Al.]

Looks like a newt to me, just one example of a UK variety.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=...

[ApOrbital]

What big al said.

[Astacus]

I believe it's a palmate newt. Great little creatures. They live near ponds and waterways, but not necessarily in the pond all the time. I used to bring these home from school in my blazer pocket. There was a ditch on the school field where you could find them

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Newts will have left the water by now, so it would be quite normal to find them on land. If you were able to catch it in your hands then it's definitely a newt. They're not terribly fast moving.

It'll either be a smooth (common) newt or palmate. Remember that pictures will often show them in breeding colours, which won't match the animals' colouration now. They become more difficult to identify when they're in 'normal' colouration.

Newts are cool. I like them!

[Mr Tom]

Thanks all!

[bimsb6]

Are you really a vet? Seriously .

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Baby Komodo dragon.......nope, sorry, looked again....it's a newt.

[littleredrooster]

Mr Tom: "It's a newt and its name is 'Tiny'"
PH: "Tiny? Why Tiny?"
Mr Tom: "Because it's my newt..."










I'll get me coat...

[Trabi601]

bimsb6 said:

Are you really a vet? Seriously .

I'm not sure why you'd expect a vet to be expert on newt species. Not really their usual clientele.

[bimsb6]

Trabi601 said:

bimsb6 said:

Are you really a vet? Seriously .

I'm not sure why you'd expect a vet to be expert on newt species. Not really their usual clientele.

No but i would expect them to recognise it as an actual newt .

[Smollet]

Looks like a common newt to me.

[Mr GrimNasty]

[Equus]

Astacus said:

I believe it's a palmate newt.

It could be either a palmate or a common (smooth) newt from those pics. The main visual difference, outside of the breeding season, is that sooth newts have spotted throats, palmate newts unspotted.

OP: Like many amphibians, basic colouration varies according to environment, but it's the males that are more heavily spotted; females and juvenile more lightly spotted or consistent colour. What you have there appears to be an adult female.

[Mr Tom]

bimsb6 said:

Are you really a vet? Seriously .

Ha! Yes I am an actual vet. I can't say I have come across any in practice and it never came up at uni. I had an idea it was a newt of some sort so, hopefully I have restored some faith in my ability!

It didn't have any visible spots so I assume it was a palmate newt. Cool to see as I can't say I have seen one that close up before!

Thanks.

[bimsb6]

Mr Tom said:

bimsb6 said:

Are you really a vet? Seriously .

Ha! Yes I am an actual vet. I can't say I have come across any in practice and it never came up at uni. I had an idea it was a newt of some sort so, hopefully I have restored some faith in my ability!

It didn't have any visible spots so I assume it was a palmate newt. Cool to see as I can't say I have seen one that close up before!

Thanks.

Lol i was going to post some pictures of cats and dogs and cows for reference purposes .