Written by Eve Goddard, Transforming Lives Trainee.
Spring is the time when amphibians will be emerging from their overwintering sites to make their way to ponds ready for breeding season. Typically, they will head out at night, providing protection from some predators, favouring damp conditions suitable for their skin.
Our three native newt species, great crested, smooth and palmate will travel up to 500m to a suitable breeding pond. The males undergo physiological changes, for example; palmate newts will develop a filament on the end of the tail, and the smooth and great crested newt’s crests will grow in readiness for their aquatic display dance!
Once mating has taken place, the females will be very busy, laying up to 300 individual eggs in vegetation in the pond, gently folding leaves around their precious eggs for protection.
Newts may well have been beaten to the pond by the common frog, who can sometimes emerge far earlier – sometimes spawn will be seen from as early as January!
The common toad, adopting a more leisurely pace will tend to breed in late spring, heading back to the pond they were spawned from. They will travel up to an enormous 5km! Common toad’s spawn is laid in ‘strings’ of dual rows of eggs which will be wrapped around vegetation. The common frog’s spawn is laid in clumps or ‘rafts’ making it easy to distinguish the two.
With all this activity, Spring is a great time to head out on nature walks and see what you can discover in your local blue and green spaces.
Don’t forget to record any sightings on our free Dragon Finder App!
For some amphibians, February marks the beginning of their habitual migration to their breeding ponds. Male 
Generally, there is a degree of variation in when a member of a species may exit brumation, in part influenced by regional variation in weather, where earlier activity may be observed in more southerly regions. A further notable impact on this transition is our ever-changing climate. Our winters are becoming milder and less predictable, leading to our amphibians and reptiles exiting their dormant state prematurely. This early emergence can be dangerous, as it can leave the animals exposed to unpredictable weather, such as cold snaps. Likewise, it can cause the expenditure of energy during colder periods which may be difficult to recoup as sources of food will be rarer.
With an unpredictable climate it can cause issues if newts, frogs or toads breed earlier with higher risks of frozen ponds, spawn and eggs. Being more active over winter could also have negative impacts on our species life expectancy- using up energy reserves when they would normally be brumating. Food sources will be scarce over the winter months, so feeding becomes harder.
November is here, bringing with it shorter days and colder weather. However, it’s not all doom and gloom; it also marks the month of Bonfire night celebrations! Spectacular firework displays, children gleefully waving sparklers in the air, everyone wrapped up in warm coats enjoying burnt jacket potatoes and hot chocolates, whilst huddled round the campfire; there is much to look forward to! 
How long they stay in the hibernacula depends on temperature. Newts usually emerge from brumation when temperatures reach over 5°C, so if it’s a little chillier than normal, they may take longer to appear. Great crested newts will continue to brumate until early spring.