Lizard or salamander?

[val douest]

Can anyone help identify a small (about 5cms long) lizardy creature found in the swimming pool? It was pale golden brown with a really bright golden stripe about half a cm wide down the whole centre of its back from head to tail and a small dark eye stripe. I'm inclined to think it was a lizard which had fallen in (it had a lizardy face but a rather thick tail). I can't find a picture of anything that looks like it - we're in Hautes Pyrenees.

Thanks, Val

[chris pp]

Bit of a guess this but I think there's a good chance that it was a Pyrenean Brook Newt,  euproctus asper Euprocte des Pyrénées - possibly youngish, colours vary a bit but does have a golden stripe down the center of its back. It would certainly be in your region.

Try putting the latin in a picture search and have a look at a few.

Chris (working late!)

 

[val douest]

Thanks, Chris - I think it was a Pyrenean Brook Newt. Most of the pictures on the web showed grey or blackish specimens but there were also a couple of brownish ones and the stripe was exactly the same.