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News > The House > CHRIST CHURCH MEADOW NEWT UPDATE!

CHRIST CHURCH MEADOW NEWT UPDATE!

Following last year's survey (June 2024), licensed newt surveyor Dr Angela Julian recently returned to the Meadow to search for the – somewhat elusive – great crested newts (Triturus cristatus).
24 Jun 2025
The House
Speckled chin seen in male smooth newt. Photo: Jake Dudderidge.
Speckled chin seen in male smooth newt. Photo: Jake Dudderidge.

Though the great crested newt still eluded researchers, Dr Angela Julian and Jake Dudderidge (2021, Biology), the following amphibians were found in the Newt Survey of Christ Church Meadow on 20 May 2025:

• At least one female palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

• Three female smooth newts (Lissotriton vulgaris)

• Two male smooth newts. One male showed tail-tip filament typically seen in palmate newts; potential hybrid?

• 5+ common frog (Rana temporaria) tadpoles and an adult were found.

• A new newt species was identifed. 

Other fauna were also encountered during survey. A full report, with images, is available here!

 

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