Was it a newt or Lizard?

[kilkenny]

Yesterday I doing some gardening at home in East London? I came across the usual sighting of frogs and toads. To my astonishment I came across what appeared to be a lizard. It was, maximum, about 3 inches long and plain brown all over. Was it a lizard????

Kilkenny

[lankeela]

Most probably a newt, especially if it was near water or wet undergrowth.

[lankeela]

http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/urbanwt/WIS_pa ges/Newts.htm

[burnhal]

could have been a common lizard or a common newt. Both can have the general description of three inches long and plain brown!
Yesterday was quite warm in the South East so I would tend to suspect a lizard- assuming you saw it during daytime? They are more active during warmer weather. Common newts tend to be nocturnal- spending the dat hiding under stones or the like.

[burnhal]

day under stones even!! Just to confuse matters lizards are very good swimmers and newts are not neccesarily found in wet areas outside the breeding season!