NEWTS are amphibians distinguished from frogs and toads by the possession of a long tail.

They are also slim and spend most of their lives in and around the ponds in which they breed. The word comes from the Greek word amphibious, which means a double life – in this case on land and in water.

Newts usually emerge from hibernation from the margins of ponds from February, and there then follows a fascinating breeding period which lasts well into late summer, or even into early autumn.

The courtship period is graceful and involves the male and female gyrating around each other in a manner which reminds me of synchronised swimming.

The male eventually deposits a packet of sperm on the bottom of the pond.

The female picks this up and uses this to fertlise her eggs. These are laid singly and fastened to the leaves of aquatic vegetation.

The newts during the breeding season reveal spectacular colour patterns, and there are three species native to Britain.

The smooth newt (triturus vulgaris) is found throughout Britain, but mainly in lowland Britain and is the only species which occurs in Ireland. It is 10cms long, including the tail. This newt has very smooth skin. It is normally olive green, and the throat area is spotted.

The breeding colours are spectacular. The male develops light upper parts, spotted with black and the underparts are red, with a crest along the back and tail.

The palmate newt (triturus helveticus) is around 7.5cms long and the crest is less evident. The male has very prominent webbing on his hind feet. The species is much more tolerant of brackish water, or that which is slightly polluted, and is also happy living at altitudes. It is therefore the most common species of newt in East Lancashire.

The great crested newt (triturus cristatus) is by far the largest of the trio. It can reach 15cms and has a spectacular crest. Sadly it is the most threatened and warrants special protection status.

It favours deeper ponds and, over the years, many have been drained to provide land for building.

It is here that East Lancashire has proved a haven for the species. Many of our old mill lodges have not been filled in and some have even been landscaped to the benefit of wildlife.

Lancashire is therefore ‘great crested newt friendly’.

Its skin is rough, and the breeding colours of orange and black on the underbelly can rival even the most beautiful of our birds!