The wrap STAR

Sporting a striking orange and black blotchy belly, the great crested newt

(Triturus cristatus) has been native to our shores for around 40 million years. Keen to continue for many millennia more, this ancient amphibian has devised a nifty way to secure the survival of future generations. Using their hind legs, females wrap each of their eggs in pond plants including water forget-me-nots and flote-grass. Each clutch can include as many as 200 eggs, so she has to use a clever concertina folding formation to secure them all and in doing so protects them from predators and sun damage.