Great Crested Newts

Great crested newts are associated with standing water and with grassland, scrub, hedgerow and woodland habitats within 500m of standing water.

Where such habitats are involved, our knowledge and expertise help to ensure that your development can proceed with minimum delay, cost-effectively and in compliance with legal obligations.

Our fully licensed staff can provide:

Habitat suitability index calculations to determine their likely presence and whether further surveys are required
Pond surveys during the breeding season – including eDNA surveys
Terrestrial surveys outside of the breeding and hibernation season
Design and implementation of mitigation strategies
Translocation
Habitat enhancement and creation
Full technical support for any statutory licence applications

Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys

This technique can be used to determine the presence or absence of great crested newts in a pond with just one survey. It involves the collection a water sample from each pond, which is then sent to a laboratory to test for the presence of great crested newt DNA. Our ecologists are trained and competent in carrying out eDNA sampling, which can only be undertaken from mid-April to the end of June.