Photo: Can you identify this newt i have found???

[zoezakella]

Hi, A few months back I found a sick female great crested newt which I took to my local wildlife centre (St Tiggywinkles) and she was admitted there before being returned back to where I found her. Now I have just weeded my front garden and have stumbled across a newt which I thought was dead, very dry and lifeless however I put him in a container with some water and a worm etc and he/she seems to be fine however I was wondering whether any of you guys can save me hours of research on the net (as per last time) and let me know what I have found and the best place to return it (in my garden or around the corner from me where we have a long stream with banks etc where the GCN was found) thanks for your help!!
p.s. sorry for the quality my camera is broken so will only take basic piccies (oh how I miss digital macro)!

 

[Kaysie]

This one looks like a Palmate newt.

 

[zoezakella]

Thanks am still looking myself and was thinking Palmate or common newt but piccies that match are ones that have been found in Romania lol :happy:

 

[zoezakella]

OK UPDATE, just finished weeding and have just found another one under a stone that I moved :happy: Its smaller than the first and a darker colour, markings the same but brighter, very pretty So is it a palmate then and if so do I release near water or put them back in my front garden?? Thanks Zoe

 

[Azhael]

Looks like L.vulgaris to me, but both species´s females are so alike....

 

[zoezakella]

Thanks to both of you so palmate or smooth that is teh question then Here are some more piccies of them both sadly because of my broken camera all the good ones I got of the marking are all blurred sorry!

 

[Otterwoman]

I don't think it would hurt to let them go near water. I wouldn't throw them in the water, but put them on the stream bank and let them decide what they need. If you found it under a rock, it was probably there waiting for something to eat and it was cool and damp, but if you want them out of the garden, the stream bank can't hurt, I think.

 

[zoezakella]

Thanks for that. I did not want them out of our garden but its only a small front garden as we live infront of a lot of fields so i felt it safer to release them in a ditch where there was some water but was mainly grass and mud etc, last few piccies is my son Zak who helped me