Palmate newt (Triturus helveticus),migrating towards a spawning pool in spring across moorland. It is crawling over mountain fern moss (Hylocomium splendens),and in the foreground are leaves from the cowberry plant. This newt is found in wet or moist areas of the UK and much of northern and western Europe. It lays its eggs in water. It feeds on insects,plankton,tadpoles and,occasionally,other newts,reaching a length of around ten centimetres,and an age of up to ten years. It is an endangered protected species in the UK. Photographed in March,in the Cairngorms,Scotland |