Great Crested Newt

A male great crested newt - brought to me that evening, had been found in the middle of a country road. He was returned to a safe place in the wild near where he was found.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Great
• Crested
• Newt
• male
• earthworm
• feeding
• release

[MeDappaDonn]

i found one of these in my reception at the work the other day. we think it got through the letterbox which is at foot level. it didn't look very alert but i released it next to the pond where the letterbox was. the next day we found 2 in there! unfortunately they had both died :( any explanation why they would they would enter a property? i cant figure it out? any info would be great thanks. we don't want a repeat occurrence as i know they are a protected species

[MountainlionWales]

@MeDappaDonn oh dear! :( that's a bit bizarre... at this time of year they would be looking for somewhere to hibernate, so they are probably moving towards somewhere they can hide that won't freeze over winter, like in old log piles or down under leaves and roots in a woodland. Do you have woodland near or behind your work? Is the building fairly new and they are perhaps entering it by mistake? You could try blocking up wherever they are getting in, if possible, or moving the letter box?

[piccadillydave]

Cool. i'm looking to get a GCN licence. How long did it take to get yours? I'm also getting some voluntary work with bats and spent a month down in Exeter with a consultancy doing full time voluntary with them :)

[MountainlionWales]

@piccadillydave thanks :) and cool - ur doing all the right things! i did 2 yrs voluntary work and was named on about 5 different people's licenses. also did a couple of courses, one was NARRS where you are allowed a license to look for GCNs in your survey area only. i work in a consultancy now, am still getting exp to be able to do GCN surveying with pit fall traps. just keep getting all the exp u can rly :)

[piccadillydave]

@MountainlionWales hey just to let you know I've been getting a LOT of pitfall trap experience lol but now I need to get some experience with the other techniques! slooowly getting there :)

[MountainlionWales]

@piccadillydave awesome :) good luck with it all!

[classiclistener01]

@piccadillydave - What I read was, "illegal internationally," so check it out closely; or, get a job with a wildlife and/or ecological group.

[piccadillydave]

@classiclistener01 I see. I live in the UK so maybe it's different

[classiclistener01]

@piccadillydave - Also, I read in a Massachusetts newspaper a few years ago about an artist who found bald eagle feathers on her property and used them to create a 3D painting. She actually WON - and then WON a trip to jail when officials from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries showed up. They confiscated the painting and arrested her for having the feathers of a highly protected raptor in her possession. I'm not trying to scare you or be a jerk, but it can happen even if you mean well!

[classiclistener01]

@piccadillydave I suppose you can do whatever you'd like, but just before writing my comment to you, I read that there's NO license to do ANYTHING with these creatures - unless you work for some kind of government facility that watches over protected animals. I just don't want to see someone like yourself, who seems competent and conscientious, get into trouble. There aren't enough "animal lovers" as it is, and I'd hate to hear of one (you) getting busted for being a good guy! :)

[piccadillydave]

@classiclistener01 licence then I need to do all the different trapping techniques and get 2 people to sign to say I am compitent in handling them

[piccadillydave]

@classiclistener01 I know you can't own one.. I was talking about the licence for you to handle one. Most of what you said is true, but since last month I have been working with newts and reptiles and there are definitely more than 300 as we find about 20 on site each day! I am not allowed to touch GCN's yet, so I have to call someone over to collect it (for translocation). In order for me to handle one I need to be put on someone else's licence who thinks I am compitent OR if I want my own