Five amphibian species thrive across Windsor’s ponds and wetlands: common frog, common toad, smooth newt, palmate newt, and the protected great crested newt. These species benefit from the Estate’s diverse wetland habitats and the restoration and creation of ponds.
The common frog, one of our most familiar amphibians, is a frequent visitor and is often quick to find new ponds created across the Estate. During the winter months, it hibernates beneath piles of logs or in the mud at the bottom of ponds.
Often misunderstood due to its warty skin and folklore links to witches, the common toad is actually a great ally – feasting on slugs and snails. On the Estate they are abundant in Virginia Water, as well as other water bodies in the Village and Swinley Forest.
With its striking, rippling crest, the great crested newt-often nicknamed the ‘warty newt’-resembles a miniature dinosaur. This protected species prefers clean, unpolluted ponds for breeding and have been recorded from a number of ponds on the Estate.
The palmate newt closely resembles the smooth newt but prefers shallow pools found on acidic soils, and are most widespread in the forest areas of Swinley and Buttersteep. During the breeding season, males develop distinctive black webbing on their hind feet.
Since its restoration, Ox Pond on the Windsor Estate has become a very good home for the smooth newt. It breeds in water during the summer months and spends the rest of the year in grasslands and woodlands, hibernating through the winter.
