Great-crested Newt, Natterjack Toad and Reptile Surveys

Stuart Spray Wildlife Consultancy is fully licensed to conduct great-crested newt and natterjack toad surveys in Scotland.

We also provide specialist services in the survey, mitigation, training and research for all amphibians and reptiles found in the UK.

Protection in the UK is afforded to all amphibians and reptiles under Schedules 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 in Scotland and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) in England.

As a ‘European Protected Species’, further protection is afforded to natterjack toad, great-crested newt, smooth snake and sand lizard.

Great Crested Newt Habitat Suitability Index

All ponds identified within 500m of a development are initially assessed for suitability to support breeding great crested newts using the Habitat Suitability Index developed by Oldham (2001).

The index relies on the collection of 10 variables:

1.Location (in Britain)
2.Pond Area
3.Desiccation Rate (years out of 10 that pond dries)
4.Water Quality (subjective assessment)
5.% Shade
6.Number of Waterfowl
7.Fish Population (subjective assessment)
8.Number of Ponds within 1km
9.Terrestrial Habitat Quality
10.% Macrophyte Cover

These 10 variables were selected by Oldham on the basis of their established or presumed importance to great crested newt survival, and for ease of field determination. The effect of each variable on great crested newts is considered separately and expressed as a Suitability Index (SI) on a scale from 0-1. The ten Suitability Indices are then combined using a geometric mean to derive the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI).

eDNA Analysis for Great Crested Newt

A pond with a great crested newt Habitat suitability Index (HSI) of over 0.6 should be tested using Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis.

eDNA is a rapid and cost-effective methos of determining the presence of absence of breeding great crested newt and is more effective at detecting newts than ‘traditional’ survey methods such as torch counts, bottle trapping and egg searches.

It also has a longer survey season as analysis can be done until the end of June.

Great Crested Newt Population Surveys

If an EDNa analysis tests positive for great crested newts, further surveys may be required to determine population numbers including:

• Searching for adults at night by touch light both at the edges of all suitable water bodies and on land with 250m of the water’s edge;
• Searches for newt eggs on the edges of suitable water bodies;
• Netting for adults and newtlets at suitable water bodies; and
• Searching under suitable refugia such as stones, logs and debris such as sheets of metal.

Natterjack Toad  (and Other Amphibians)

All pond and refugia habitat within 250m of the development site boundary are surveyed for evidence of natterjack toad and/or other amphibians by:

• Searching for adults at night by touch light both at the edges of all suitable water bodies and on land with 250m of the water’s edge;
• Searching for newt eggs and frog/road spawn on the edges of suitable water bodies in the spring;
• Netting for adults and newtlets and tadpoles at suitable water bodies; and
• Searching under suitable refugia such as stones, logs and debris such as sheets of metal.

Reptiles

To determine presence or likely absence of reptile species, a minimum of seven survey visits between mid/late March and late June and/or between late August and late September is recommended during appropriate weather conditions.

Adult reptiles should be located by searching under potential refugia such as stones, logs and debris such as sheets of metal.

Artificial refugia should be placed in suitably sunny areas of the site and regularly checked over the survey period looking for basking reptiles on top of and resting reptiles under the refugia.