"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."

This is a wonderful quote from one of the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, but how does any budding occultist know if their toe is from a frog and not a toad? or that they have extracted an eye from a newt and not a lizard? Who knows the chaos a mix up might cause!

Amphibian or reptile?

Firstly, let’s talk about herps (the collective name for reptiles and amphibians). All reptiles and amphibians have things in common: they have a skeleton on the inside with a basic pattern similar to humans, and they all use the external temperature to regulate their internal temperature (this is called ectothermy). Locally, nationally and globally, amphibians and reptiles are under threat from unpredictable weather due to climate change, plus habitat loss and fragmentation, amongst (many) other things. This is why our nature reserves and the work we do to connect them is so important.

Have I got frogs or toads in my garden pond?

Many people in the UK think that if it’s big it’s a toad, but this is not true. Our common frog and common toad are roughly the same size (up to around 10cm). The females of both species are bigger than the males, so if it’s big, it probably a girl.

It is more likely that you have frogs rather than toads breeding in your garden pond because frogs prefer smaller ponds, but you might have either or both hunting for beetles! All UK amphibians spend more time on land than they do in water, so terrestrial habitat for hunting is as important as water for breeding.

You can read about making your garden better for wildlife, especially by adding water, in my series of blogs on wildlife gardening for beginners. There are also many ideas in the Help Wildlife at Home section on our website.

Have I got great crested newts in my pond?

It is quite tricky to tell our newts apart, and even some experts find it difficult as you don’t always get the perfect view, and there is overlap in size, colour and distribution. Sometimes it’s ok to just enjoy wildlife, you don’t always need to know what you have seen! If you really want to know, getting a photo might help and you could try posting it on our Monitoring and Research Facebook page, but please take care not to disturb animals in order to do this. In general, it is not a good idea to handle amphibians as their skins is very sensitive, and great crested newts are protected by law. (this does not apply if removing an animal from immediate danger like a road).

Newts and lizards have a similar body shape, but lizards tend to move faster on land and have scaly skin. Newts have four toes on the back leg and lizards have five.

The most likely newt you have in your garden pond is a smooth newt.

Do I have an adder in my garden?

No! It is extremely unlikely that you have an adder in your garden. Many people are frightened of snakes, but the UK’s only venomous snake is not often seen and hardly ever causes a problem for people or dogs (regardless of the scare stories you might read in the paper). It is a rare animal, especially in our region, and very shy. It hangs out in drier, open habitat like heath, chalk downland, or open woodland. The most likely snake you will see anywhere in the UK is the grass snake. Grass snakes like to eat frogs so hang out by water and can often be seen swimming. They are wimps and often play dead if threatened.

Reptiles and amphibians are amongst my favourite animals. There is nothing like the thrill of spotting a grass snake swimming across a lake, or watching the amazing spectacle of a frog breeding pond.

You can read about why you should also love frogs and toads as much as I do, and how you can help them in my blog about toad patrol. The photos below were taken while on toad patrol.