Lifecycle of Amphibians
In the UK amphibians hibernate in order to survive the colder winter months since they cannot generate their own heat to keep warm. Some species such as common frogs can hibernate at the bottom of ponds, but most find an undisturbed frost-free spot underground. In the spring, they emerge and make their way to their breeding ponds. The males often arrive first to compete for a mate. Toads and frogs often ambush the larger females on their way to the pond, but male newts make sure they arrive early and find a prominent display area on the edge of the pond. They attract females by dancing – standing on their front legs, arching their backs, and flashing their tails!
After breeding and laying their eggs in huge numbers, most adults leave the ponds to hunt invertebrates on land leaving their larvae to develop in the pond. You can tell newt larvae from frog and toad tadpoles as newtlets, also known as efts, have external gills. Great crested newt efts hunt voraciously and will eat anything smaller than themselves including other amphibian larvae. However, this temerity comes at a cost. If fish are present, then they find the great crested newt efts an easy meal as they swim across the open water other larvae tend to avoid
