FAQs about newts: eating tadpoles

Newts, amongst other things, will prey on tadpoles (Jules Howard)

WILDLIFE INFORMATION SERVICE

Frequently Asked Questions about... newts:

Newts are eating my tadpoles, can anything be done to stop them?

Many amphibians lay large numbers of eggs because the chances of them surviving the numerous predators that exist are so slim. This amphibian adaptation means that they form a vital part of food chains.

Newts are one such predator of tadpoles - particularly in the weeks after frog spawning, when newts are in the pond laying their eggs on pond plants.

Tadpoles can be an important food source for newts (particularly the smooth newt which is common in many gardens) but we would advise that newts should not be removed. By relocating the newts to another pond you could be accidentally transferring invasive plants and diseases, as well as leaving the way open for more newts to enter the pond. If you have great crested newts in the pond then you could also be unintentionally breaking the law by handling a protected species without a license. Garden ponds are often home to more than one species of amphibian; this is a healthy situation and indicates the pond is functioning well. There is no need to remove newts or other predators.

In most cases where newt predation takes place, some tadpoles will survive to become froglets. What often occurs in many gardens is that, over a number of years, a 'boom-bust' relationship forms between frogs and newts - with larger numbers of newts leading to fewer frogs, then fewer frogs leading to fewer newts, leading to more frogs in following years (and so on).

Other tadpole predators also exist in ponds, including water boatmen, diving beetles and dragonfly larvae. Adding places within the pond for tadpoles to hide could help increase their chances of survival. Potential hiding places include rocks, pebbles or aquatic planters.

More information:

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