Construction projects often find themselves at odds with the great crested newt. In 2020, the then UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, referred to them as a drag on the economy, citing their presence on development sites as a cause for costly delays. These creatures even put a stop to Ed Sheeran’s proposal to build a wedding chapel on his Suffolk estate.
Great crested newts play crucial ecological roles. They breed in ponds and ditches during the spring and early summer, before emerging to spend most of their time on land. This behaviour means they are able to recycle nutrients from water to land.
They are also an important part of the food chain. These newts eat small invertebrates and are prey for many species of reptile, mammal and bird.
