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Environment : Newts
You may not realise it but wildlife is very important to big companies.
The Great Crested Newt is now a protected animal because its numbers are decreasing due to their habitats being destroyed by developments.
The newts live in areas around ponds and can travel up to 500m from the pond in which they were born. In areas close to the proposed railway where newts could live, Crossrail sends out land use planning experts to decide whether there could be any problems.
If so, they protect the newts by changing part of the railway proposals or relocating the newts to a safe place. This means that the newts will be protected and Crossrail will be able to carry on build the new railway.
Newts are amphibians which means that they can live on land and in the water. They breathe air so when they are in water they must swim to the surface to survive.
They eat small creatures like water lice and water fleas, but they love worms! Their average life span is about 7 years, but they can live up to 14 years old!
What do these newts look like?
The adult newt is dark, usually black with small white spots and a bright orange belly. The male has a 'crest', a flap of skin which you can see clearly when they are out of the water. During breeding the male fans its tail to attract the females!
The female is slightly larger than the males and can reach up to 170mm long. The female lays several hundred eggs in the water and after about 3-4 weeks the eggs hatch. The tadpoles will stay in the pond for 3-4 months until they have grown to the size 40-80 mm. The tadpoles will then be young newts.
The Great Crested Newt is now a protected animal because its numbers are decreasing due to their habitats being destroyed by developments.
The newts live in areas around ponds and can travel up to 500m from the pond in which they were born. In areas close to the proposed railway where newts could live, Crossrail sends out land use planning experts to decide whether there could be any problems.
If so, they protect the newts by changing part of the railway proposals or relocating the newts to a safe place. This means that the newts will be protected and Crossrail will be able to carry on build the new railway.
Newts are amphibians which means that they can live on land and in the water. They breathe air so when they are in water they must swim to the surface to survive.
They eat small creatures like water lice and water fleas, but they love worms! Their average life span is about 7 years, but they can live up to 14 years old!
What do these newts look like?
The adult newt is dark, usually black with small white spots and a bright orange belly. The male has a 'crest', a flap of skin which you can see clearly when they are out of the water. During breeding the male fans its tail to attract the females!
The female is slightly larger than the males and can reach up to 170mm long. The female lays several hundred eggs in the water and after about 3-4 weeks the eggs hatch. The tadpoles will stay in the pond for 3-4 months until they have grown to the size 40-80 mm. The tadpoles will then be young newts.
