Newt-sniffing dog called Freya is helping to locate elusive amphibians

Great crested newts are threatened amphibians that live in lowland areas of England, but their underground lifestyle makes them tricky to find. Scientists have now trained a dog to sniff out the threatened newts even when they are far away or deep below the soil, which could boost conservation efforts.

Because great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) nest in underground burrows and rocky crevices as adults, they are incredibly challenging to find. As a result, researchers know a …