Chevin Forest Park GeoTrail #11: Yorkgate | Palmate Newt
The 11th cache in the series, a camo-taped 35mm film canister, is located in a patch of mainly birch woodland close to the path from the nearby Yorkgate car park.
For background info on the Chevin Forest Park and the series, including a map showing parking options, trails and cache locations, see GCB7RA1.
To Find the Cache:
At the published coordinates, you will be standing by a car parking notice from which you will find that:
- The weight limit for the car park is A.5 tonnes
- The location code for the car park is 81035B
- An annual parking permit will cost C0 pounds
- On the round post below this notice board is a name and telephone number, the last digit of which = D
Go to the squeeze gate @ N 53 53.536 W 1 41.909 at the access point for the footpaths into the park.
- Look at the metal plate attached to the gate support. The number of letters in the name of the S. Yorkshire town where the gate was made = E
- To the left is a metal gate with a padlock on which you will see the number 6F0
The cache is hidden nearby at:
N 53 53.(E-D)F(B-E) W 1 41.(A+F)(E-F)(C-A)
En route to the cache location, if coming from #10, you will skirt a small pond to your left – one of only 2 on The Chevin – the other being on the eastern edge of the Danefield side.
According to the Friends of Chevin wildlife spotters guide, the ponds are ‘a great place to spot dragonflies, damselflies, frogs, newts, Yellow Flag Iris, Starwort and Sphagnum Moss’. So, if you have time, you could make a small detour to see what you can see – which may include . . .
The Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus), which is one of the UK's three native newt species, along with the Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) and the Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus).
It is the smallest and most elusive of the three, thriving mainly in upland areas, heathlands, and acidic ponds, particularly in the western and northern parts of the UK, including Scotland and Wales (see range map below). Its name comes from the webbing (palmation) found on the hind feet of breeding males.
It is about 6-9cm long, generally olive-green or brown, with smooth skin and subtle speckling. Its underside is yellow or pinkish with few or no dark spots, unlike the more heavily spotted Smooth Newt.
It exhibits sexual dimorphism during the breeding season. Males develop a thin filament at the tip of their tail and exhibit black webbing between their hind toes. Unlike Smooth Newts, they lack a prominent dorsal crest. Females and non-breeding males are less distinctive but usually show a continuous dark stripe running from the nostril through the eye and along the body.
It prefers clean, undisturbed, shallow, acidic, fish-free ponds and pools with plenty of aquatic vegetation, often in moorland, heathland, or woodland environments. They are particularly associated with upland and sandy soils. While Smooth Newts dominate much of England, Palmate Newts are more common in western regions and are the only newt species found in some parts of Scotland and the Scottish islands. Its adaptability makes it a frequent visitor to garden ponds.
Their terrestrial habitat is equally important as they spend much of the year in damp, sheltered places such as under logs, stones, or within leaf litter. During this time, they are nocturnal, emerging at night to hunt for small invertebrates like worms, slugs, and insects.
Breeding occurs from March to May, when newts return to ponds after hibernating through winter. Males perform courtship displays, waving their tails to waft pheromones toward females. Once mating occurs, the female lays individual eggs, wrapping each in the leaf of an aquatic plant for protection. Over several weeks, a female can lay over 200 eggs.
The eggs hatch into larvae with external gills and a frilled tail. These larvae develop over the summer, gradually absorbing their gills and metamorphosing into juvenile newts known as efts. Depending on the location and conditions, this process may take several weeks to months. Juveniles leave the water in late summer or early autumn and remain terrestrial until they reach sexual maturity after 2-3 years.
During July the adult newts leave the water, males absorbing their crests and tail filaments and becoming more drab in appearance. They are fully terrestrial during August and September, preparing for hibernation by feeding on worms and other small invertebrates. It typically hibernates in deep leaf litter in late September.
Although still relatively common in some parts of the UK, it faces several threats. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to agriculture, urban development, and drainage of ponds have a significant impact. Pollution and the introduction of fish into breeding ponds can also reduce breeding success, as fish prey on eggs and larvae.
Another issue is misidentification and under-recording. Palmate and Smooth Newts look quite similar outside the breeding season, and without careful observation, Palmate Newts may be overlooked in survey data, complicating conservation efforts.
It is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the UK, making it illegal to sell or trade them without a licence. However, it does not receive the same level of protection as the Great Crested Newt, whose populations have declined more drastically.
Efforts to support Palmate Newts include creating and managing suitable breeding ponds, promoting awareness and accurate recording among citizen scientists, and protecting upland and heathland habitats from degradation.
See here for more information on this elusive amphibian.
See short videos here, here (Ray Mears on Wild Britain) and here (Springwatch 2020).
