Amphibians
Sussex native amphibians
In general, amphibians:
Six species are native to Britain: common frog Rana temporaria, common toad Bufo bufo, natterjack toad Bufo calamita, smooth newt Triturus vulgaris, palmate newt Triturus helveticus, great crested newtTriturus cristatus. There is also mounting fossil evidence that the pool frog Rana lessonae, may be a native species, although it is now thought to be extinct across it’s former UK range which was predominantly the fens of East Anglia.
In addition, several other non-native species are occasionally encountered. These include marsh frog Rana ridibunda, edible frog Rana esculenta, North American bullfrog Rana catesbeiana, and alpine newt Triturus alpestris.
There are five native amphibians found in Sussex, the common frog, common toad, the smooth newt, the palmate newt and the great crested newt.
In general, amphibians:
- Have moist, un-scaly skin;
- Lay jelly-covered eggs with no leathery shell;
- Often lay large numbers (hundreds or thousands) of eggs;
- Have a larval stage and undergo metamorphosis;
- Need to return to water (or damp places) to breed;
- Are represented by three main types – frogs and toads (tail-less), salamanders and newts (tailed), and caecilians (tropical limbless worm-like amphibians). There are at least 4,000 species worldwide.
Six species are native to Britain: common frog Rana temporaria, common toad Bufo bufo, natterjack toad Bufo calamita, smooth newt Triturus vulgaris, palmate newt Triturus helveticus, great crested newtTriturus cristatus. There is also mounting fossil evidence that the pool frog Rana lessonae, may be a native species, although it is now thought to be extinct across it’s former UK range which was predominantly the fens of East Anglia.
In addition, several other non-native species are occasionally encountered. These include marsh frog Rana ridibunda, edible frog Rana esculenta, North American bullfrog Rana catesbeiana, and alpine newt Triturus alpestris.
There are five native amphibians found in Sussex, the common frog, common toad, the smooth newt, the palmate newt and the great crested newt.
- The loss of their breeding ponds and the surrounding habitat due to changes in the countryside means that they are all declining, although the increase in garden ponds means that frogs and smooth newts particularly are fairing better in some urban areas.
- Great crested newts are declining very fast across their range, which includes 23 countries, so much so that they are protected under British and European legislation, and are among the most protected species in the country.
- This means that The Secretary of State must declare that there are reasons of overriding public interest before their habitat is damaged or destroyed.
- Great crested newt habitat includes breeding ponds and an area of terrestrial habitat in a radius of up to 500m around the pond. We know of at least 240 breeding ponds but there are estimated to be up to 1000 in Sussex.
- There is a desperate need for a systematic survey of Sussex in order to ensure that sites are protected, and to ensure that planning decisions and Local Development Plans are based on fully adequate information about local species in accordance with PPG9.
