Garden wildlife identifier: amphibians and reptiles

Here are some common amphibians and reptiles that you might spot in your own garden.

Common frog (Rana temporaria)

The common frog has a smooth-skinned greenish, brownish or yellowish body, 6-9cm long, often marked, marbled or streaked. It has long legs for hopping. It lays over 1,000 eggs in a gelatinous spawn mass.

Common toad (Bufo bufo)

The common toad has a large, stout body, 8-15cm long, which is warty, brown or olive-green. Fatter and larger than the frog, its short legs are used for walking. It lays 600-4,000 eggs in gelatinous spawn ribbons. They live for a long time – 40 years have been recorded.

Common lizard (Zootoca vivipara)

Slim and short-legged, the lizard's mottled brown or yellow body, with orange, red or yellow tinges, can reach 16cm, including its tail. The male has a spotted or striped belly. It lives in rough, grassy places and basks on logs or rocks. Eats insects, spiders, worms and slugs.

Grass snake (Natrix helvetica)

The grass snake's olive-green body, 70-150cm, has dark spots along the sides. Its head has a yellow and black collar with large, black side marks behind. The underside is a black and yellow-green harlequin pattern. It visits ponds to hunt fish, frogs and newts. It leaves a sinuous wake when it swims.

Slow worm (Anguis fragilis)

The slim, pale, metallic greyish-brown body of this legless lizard reaches 30-45cm. Dark-streaked down the sides, especially females and young. Often shelters in groups in warm, dry places. It can release its tail to escape predators – the tail continues to writhe long after.

Adder (Vipera berus)

Shorter (60-90cm) and stouter than the grass snake, the adder's body has a pale-brown background, with a darker or black zigzag down the back. It likes dry, warm places – moors, heaths and woods, and eats small mammals like birds, lizards and frogs.

Smooth (or common) newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)

This newt's slim, dark, mottled, olive-green, brown and black body reaches 7-10cm, including its tail. Males have a brightly patterned orange belly with black spots, and a tall, wavy crest down the neck, back and tail. Females lay single eggs on aquatic leaves.

Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus)

The great crested newt has a slim, dark olive or slate-black, slightly warty body, reaching 11-17cm, including tail. The underside of the male has fiery orange, yellow and black marks, with a high, ragged crest along the body and tail.

Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

The palmate newt is similar to the smooth newt, with a 7-11cm body. The males are olive-brown and the females have a yellow-pink throat, but they lack the smooth newt's black spots. The males have webbed hind feet. It lives in shallow ponds on acid-rich soils.

Many thanks to Chris Shields for providing the beautiful illustrations used in this feature.