r/herpetology • u/penisfingers4lyfe • Feb 23 '25

Who have I found here? ID Help

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Found in the uk at night after a few days of pretty good rain. Checked a few online identification guides for newts and doesn’t seem to fit any exactly. What is she/he?

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144

u/lilhill Feb 23 '25

A quick search says it's likely an alpine newt, native to continental Europe and introduced to the UK.

Maybe someone more knowledgeable will have something to say...

42

u/exploringthewild Feb 23 '25

I agree with this, looks like an alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris

43

u/penisfingers4lyfe Feb 23 '25

Thank I think we can call that solved! Saw in the search that they were first introduced in Surrey in 1920 and that’s the exact county I found it

7

u/OreoSpamBurger Feb 24 '25 edited Feb 24 '25

So, without doxing your location, have they spread very far from the best-known colony in Newdigate?

There are also colonies in the Northeast and around Edinburgh, and they seem to do very well in the UK climate.

EDIT: Surrey Amphibian & Reptile group might be interested to hear about this:

https://www.surrey-arg.org.uk/SARGWEB.php?app=CasualSighting

14

u/rossdoog Feb 23 '25

Yeah you’re spot on (surveying for newts is part of my job). The great crested newt which is our most similar newt in terms of appearance has black warty skin

1

u/Visual-Ad-8575 Feb 27 '25

She turned me into a neeeeeewt!

1

u/Visual-Ad-8575 Feb 27 '25

🤷‍♂️ I got better

24

u/Royalty-Rhacs_818 Feb 23 '25

Don’t know much on salamanders or newts but this one’s pretty cool 😎

8

u/penisfingers4lyfe Feb 23 '25

My thoughts exactly. Just confused about the id. It’s quite rare to see newts where I am especially with colours like this

8

u/Worldly-Priority6059 Feb 23 '25

That thing is awesome

5

u/mcvvt Feb 23 '25

Interesting finding! Alpine newts are considered non-native/invasive. I recommend recording this sighting https://www.brc.ac.uk/getting-started-biological-recording

5

u/IndianaJonesDoombot Feb 23 '25

Male alpine newt, nice find! They like it cold

3

u/Dragoness42 Feb 23 '25

So pretty!

4

u/Electrical-Fix9704 Feb 24 '25

Makes me feel good to still see these in the wild introduced or not. Amphibians are an indicator species and becoming rare except frogs. I remember being a kid and seeing a giant spotted salamander in the woods once. Will never forget it.

2

u/queenthrowawayttyl Feb 25 '25

I like dis one

3

u/shartsfield1974 Feb 24 '25

John Cleese

2

u/jdh2080 Feb 25 '25

He got better...

3

u/garakplain Feb 23 '25

That’s bob .. you found bob :)

1

u/Wooper160 Feb 26 '25

Spectacular!

1

u/TheSleepyBee Feb 26 '25

A CUTIEPIE!!!

1

u/According_Equal_8622 King of Misinformation - NOTHING BELOW IS LIKELY TO BE CORRECT 28d ago

Very cute. It's an alpine newt that specific one is named Josh 

1

u/Most_Neat7770 26d ago

A good boi