The migrations and terrestrial habitat utilisation of a population of great crested newts, triturus cristatus. at little wittenham wood, Oxfordshire

TL;DRAbstract

The aims of this study were to evaluate the population size of rriturus cristatus, and investigate the density and distribution of the species during the terrestrial phase, at a lowland woodland site in Oxfordshire.Barrier fencing lined with pitfall traps at intervals were used to capture newts migrating to and from a breeding pond and to sample migating individuals 122m from the pond.In addition, barrier fence enclosures 1450m 2 in area were set in grassland, deciduous woodland, and conifer plantation areas at distances of 100, 200, and 300m from the breeding pond, inorder to sample the over-wintering density.Captured animals were "marked"(photo of the ventral spot pattern).The population using the breeding site was large (in excess of 1100 males and females), stable, and successfully produced a large cohort of post-metamorphic young in 1988.There were significantly more males than females.A shift in the population size structure was observed between the autunm emigrating Population i

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