How can you tell the difference between the 3 types of newt we have in England?

We have a pond in the garden and there are around fifteen in total.One is very pale, some are brown ( very fat at the moment ) so i guess they are females. There are a few with a continuous crest down the back and an orange stripe down the belly. None of them look warty, but some are very mottled and spotty.
Answers:
It can be difficult to tell them all apart. Typically smooth newts have smooth skin, the males have a crest and are about 10cms long.
Great cresteds have a warty skin, the males have a crest and are about 15cms long
Palmate newts are also smooth skinned but lack the cresting and orange spotty bellies of smooth newts.
From your description I would guess at smoothies.

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have a look on the new for pictures, its not easy to tell without seeing one but most british wild life books will have them in, have a look in the library you might find one there.