Natural History Notes

REFERENCES TRITURUS CRISTATUS (Great crested newt): PREDATION BY BIRDS. I am fortunate enough Duellman, W. E. & Hoogmoed, M. S. (1984). The to have a pond with a large colony of Great crested and phylogenetic relationships of the newts on my land and, over a number of years, have hylid genus . Misc. Publ. Mus. Nat. been able to observe the extensive predation that the Hist. Univ. Kansas 75, 1–39. colony suffers from birds (the pond is in the High Frost, D.R., Grant, T., Faivovich, J., Bain, R., Weald of Kent and lies about half a mile from the Haas, A., Haddad, C.F.B., de Sa´, R.O., River Teise). Donnellan, S.C., Raxworthy, C.J., Wilkinson, I have only been able to find very limited M., Channing, A., Campbell, J.A., Blotto, B.L., references to the fact that this predation occurs and have to assume that it has not been adequately Moler, P., Drewes, R.C., Nussbaum, R.A., recorded or documented in the past. My Lynch, J.D., Green, D. & Wheeler, W.C. (2006). observations and identification of the prey are made The tree of life. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. easier by the fact that there are no fish in the pond Hist. 297, 1–370. other than a few large grass-eating carp and no other Jungfer, K-H. & Boehme, W. (1991). The newts are resident. It is also clear that adult newts backpack strategy of parental care in , with are not a problem for some birds despite the belief notes on froglet-carrying in Stefania evansi that toxicity affords some protection. Firstly, Moorhens ( Gallinula chloropus ). It is (Boulenger, 1904) (Anura: : perhaps surprising but Moorhens will catch and Hemiphractinae). Rev. fr. Aquariol . 18, 91–96. consume adult Crested newts. Although they spend Kok, P.J.R., Bourne, G.R., Benjamin, P. & most of their day pecking away at plants in the pond Lenglet, G.L. (2006). Stefania evansi . eating mainly vegetable matter they are omnivores Reproduction. Herpetol. Rev. 37, 212–213. and will also eat insects, worms and snails. As far MacCulloch, R.D. & Lathrop, A. (2002). as catching newts is concerned, Moorhens are Exceptional diversity of Stefania (Anura: opportunistic hunters in that, as far as I have seen, they do not actively seek them out. However, if an Hylidae) on Mount Ayanganna, Guyana: three adult crested newt comes up for air in the path of a new species and new distribution records. Moorhen, it becomes a target and, if possible, will Herpetologica 58, 327–346. be caught. When this happens it creates a great deal MacCulloch, R.D., Lathrop, A. & Khan, S.Z. of excitement among the other Moorhens on the (2006). Exceptional diversity of Stefania pond who chase the lucky bird hoping to share in (Anura: Cryptobatrachidae) II: six species from the spoil; an indication that they would eat more if Mount Wokomung, Guyana. Phyllomedusa 5, they could catch them. They do not appear to 31–41. swallow them whole but peck them into smaller bits before eating them. Señaris, J. C., Ayarzagüena, J. & Gorzula, S. [1997 As far as I am aware it is not generally known (“1996”)]. Revisión taxonómica del género that Mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) are also Stefania (Anura: Hylidae) en Venezuela con la predators and more successful ones than Moorhens. descripción de cinco especies. Publ. Asoc. They hunt the adult newts much more Amigos de Doñana 7, 1–57. systematically and I have watched them patrolling the pond actively looking for the newts coming to the surface. A female Mallard I observed caught and PHILIPPE J.R. KOK 1 and PAUL BENJAMIN 2 consumed at least five fully-grown crested newts in 1 Department of Vertebrates, Royal Belgian the space of an hour. Having webbed-feet and better Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 rue Vautier, B- diving skills clearly makes the ducks more adept at 1000 Brussels, Belgium. catching them than the Moorhens and when the E-mail: [email protected] newts are caught they are swallowed whole, toxins clearly being no discouragement. 2 Chenapou Village, Upper Potaro River, Region Predation by ducks and Moorhens pales into 8, Guyana. insignificance when compared with the predation

Number 100 - Herpetological Bulletin [2007] 39 Natural History Notes

Figure 3. Newt hurriedly rejected by a young kingfisher . Figure 1. Moorhen having just caught an adult Great crested newt. mature newt and dropping it like a hot potato as soon as it realised what it was. The picture (Figure by Kingfishers ( Alcedo atthis ) and it is absolutely 3) was taken a few seconds after this happened. astonishing how voraciously these birds attack the This would indicate that, unlike Mallards and colony. One is torn between the pleasure of being Moorhens, Kingfishers are not able to deal with the able to watch these spectacular birds and the toxins. Despite looking completely traumatised the devastation they are causing to the newt population. newt swam away when I returned it to the water. The Kingfishers visit the pond periodically throughout the year but the serious visits start towards the end of June and carry on with great frequency through to the end of August and into September.

Figure 4. Kingfisher about to consume a juvenile Great crested newt. It is difficult to determine if the Kingfishers that visit are members of the same family. Young are Figure 2. Male Mallard having caught just caught a certainly brought to the pond by adults and the pond Great crested newt. The head can just be seen the other seems to be the preserve of one adult male side of the beak. Kingfisher since I have seen rivals hide when it arrives and then be chased away. I initially thought The timing coincides with the presence of the that visits to the pond might occur when water juvenile newts in the pond and it is these that are conditions were not favourable in the nearby river consumed by the Kingfishers in vast quantities. but given the consistency of the visits in all weather During a typical visit by a bird at least ten juveniles conditions and the vast quantities consumed one has can be caught and consumed and these visits, to assume that juvenile newts are part of the particularly in the early weeks, take place preferred Kingfisher diet. throughout the day. I estimate that up to 100 juveniles can be taken from the pond on a daily JOHN WEBLEY basis and this attack goes on day after day. Ash Oast, Schoolhouse Lane, Horsmonden, Kent, The Kingfishers very rarely make mistakes but I TN12 8BJ . Email: [email protected] have observed one young bird catching a more www.15acresinkent.com

40 Herpetological Bulletin [2007] - Number 100