Smooth

While clearing some taller grasses from along a planter near the house last evening, Mike discovered this little Smooth Newt huddled under some piled flagstones. It didn't move — never even blinked — during the minutes that we watched and photographed it. This is probably a female; during the breeding season, which runs from February to June, males develop a wavy crest along their backs, and this one showed no sign of that. Though I always think of newts as water creatures, they're often found on land outside of the breeding season, though typically they still haunt damp places (under piles of stones and leaves, for example). They hunt invertebrates, both in the water and on land. This is Britain's most widespread newt, found throughout most of the islands. It's declining in the north and west, however. We've been talking about putting a small pond in, somewhere in the garden. I guess we'd better hurry up with that!