In accordance with UK licensing and Natural England guidance, we provide eDNA kits and analysis (available only in the UK) to allow you to survey for the protected Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus). In this article you will find:

If you're not working into UK licensing regulations you can use our Great crested newt (not for UK licensing) single-species (qPCR) test (assay) available from our eDNA store.

Important Info

GCN info hub: for more info & pricing visit our main website GCN page
Purchase from our Portal
Kit instructions available here
For Queries contact our team
GCN reports will be issued via the Portal.
Example report: available here

Important! Ensure your GCN report is accurate

Each project in the Portal represents a single report - all kits assigned to a project will be included in the report for that project. We will issue only one report for each project.

You'll be able to assign and re-assign kits to a specific project through the Portal. All kits assigned to a project will be included in the report for that project. Once your samples have been collected by our courier, please do not re-assign kits to a different project, as this change will not be recognized in your reporting.

To ensure accurate reporting, please double-check that each project contains the correct kits before your samples are collected. Additional charges may apply if reports need to be reissued due to incorrect information.

Need help with assigning kits to a project, or have any other queries? Contact our support team.

FAQs

Why do I need a Great crested newt survey?

Development can have a large impact on this species. Great crested newts are listed as a European Protected Species under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2017). They are also protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).

Can I use eDNA methods to survey great crested newts?

Natural England has approved eDNA as a recognized method for confirming presence of Great crested newts in ponds during mating season (April 15th - June 30th). You can be confident knowing that NatureMetrics follows Natural England’s approved protocol (WC1067), ensuring our tests meet regulatory requirements.

Why choose NatureMetrics for your great crested newts eDNA surveys?

We are the global leader in eDNA services and have dedicated, ultra-clean laboratories for DNA extraction and qPCR analysis to guard against contamination. We are proud to have scored 100% across all our GCN lab proficiency assessments, and we've been running our GCN eDNA service since 2015.

How do I place an order?

All orders must be placed via our Portal: https://my.naturemetrics.co.uk/login.php

If you do not have an account, please request one here: https://naturemetrics.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/27

For prices and further info please visit our main website: https://www.naturemetrics.com/gcn

How does payment work?

Pay by invoice with a 30 day payment terms or card (payment taken after order is placed, additional fees apply).

Orders of kits and analyses with payment via invoice: invoice will be issued when kits have been dispatched.

Orders of analysis only: invoice / card payment will be taken after order placed.

If you have a PO: please add this to the appropriate field when placing your order via the Portal.

How many kits do I need?

Natural England states that you should use “…one kit per pond up to an area of 1 hectare. Beyond this, use an additional kit per hectare”. Two kits should be used for a pond between 1-2 hectares in size, and each kit should be used to sample one half of the pond in accordance with the Natural England protocol.

When can this survey be taken?

Natural England states that samples should be taken between 15th April and 30th June.

How long can kits be kept for before use?

Kits have a shelf life of 3 months and should be stored at ambient temperature before use.

What are the reporting turnaround times?

Standard turnaround times are 8 working days starting from the working day after we receive all samples for the relevant report. You will be notified via email when your samples arrive at our labs.

What does my report look like?

An example report can be viewed here: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0861/5339/6545/files/GCN_example_report.pdf?v=1745405208

Your report will include the results (positive, negative or inconclusive) for each sample included in the report, plus scores, methods and other useful info.

What does the ‘score’ in my analysis results mean?

A low score can be interpreted as a sample containing a low amount of Great crested newt eDNA, while a high score can be interpreted as a sample containing a high amount of Great crested newt eDNA. Samples with a score of 1 are still classed as positive for Great crested newt, in accordance with the Natural England protocol, but we would recommend that these ponds are resurveyed using a conventional survey or a further eDNA survey, to confirm species presence. Note that a negative result does not preclude the presence of Great crested newt eDNA. If individuals are present in low abundance, they may not be shedding enough DNA to be detected.

What do ‘inconclusive’ results mean?

Even though we deploy a range of processes and solutions to minimize this risk, inconclusive results may arise because DNA is degraded, or samples are inhibited. Ponds with an inconclusive result should be resampled.

How long does Great crested newt eDNA take to degrade?

eDNA can last for up to 300 hours in aquatic systems, but there is no definitive answer. The degradation of DNA is slowest when it is cold, dark, or when the DNA is bound to sediment.

Kit Delivery

Order before 11am for next day delivery to mainland UK. Note we are unable to deliver your kits on weekends or bank holidays so please ensure you select a valid delivery day when placing your order in the Portal.

Shipping Samples to NatureMetrics

How do I manage the shipping of my samples to NatureMetrics?

Collection of your kits is included in the price. When your samples are ready for collection please contact us via logistics@naturemetrics.co.uk or call 0203 876 7350 (option 1) and a member of our team will book a courier collection for you. Please do not send samples back any other way and contact us to arrange shipping of samples.

Note our couriers are unable to collect your samples on the following days:

Fridays
weekends
bank holidays

Please ensure you select a valid courier collection day when placing your order in the Portal.

Changes to booked courier collection

If your address or contact details change or appear to be incorrect please contact us immediately to have this resolved via email logistics@naturemetrics.co.uk or call 0203 876 7350 (option 1).

Change the date and/or time of your collection

You can do this directly with the courier via the collection confirmation email. We do ask that you amend the booking where possible, as cancelling will incur a fee of £15 per collection (re-charged to you by NatureMetrics).

Cancel your courier booking

Contact us immediately via email logistics@naturemetrics.co.uk or call 0203 876 7350 (option 1). Any cancellations on the day of collection will incur a £15 fee and the courier may still arrive at the location.

Courier unable to collect your samples

Should the courier arrive and be unable to collect your samples (no-one home, advised no parcel to collect, parcel not in designated safe space etc.) this will incur a fee of £25 per parcel (re-charged to you by NatureMetrics). Every effort is made to avoid a missed collection, so please be sure that someone is at the location during the collection slot where possible and if you know no one will be available be sure to provide clear details/instructions of the parcel(s) location beforehand (via the DPD link).

Storing Samples and Packing Advice

If courier collection is taking place on the same day the samples were taken, they can be stored at ambient temperature – but please keep them cool and out of direct sunlight. If storing samples overnight or longer, please keep them refrigerated at 2 - 4 °C. Samples can be stored for up to one month in a refrigerator, but should not be frozen. As soon as possible after sampling, contact us via logistics@naturemetrics.co.uk or 0203 876 7350 (option 1) to arrange for courier collection of samples.

Please ensure that all samples are packed securely, ideally in the box they arrive in but where this is not possible, place your samples in a sturdy box with appropriate packing material to limit their movement in transit. Pack the samples in as few boxes as possible and if you should need to amend the number of boxes on your collection, please let us know as soon as possible. Please make sure that any previous address labels on the box are removed. There are no labels to attach to the parcel so please write ‘NatureMetrics, Guildford, GU2 7HJ’ clearly on the box. Should you wish to return any waste from the kits (e.g. leftover packing) for return please make sure this is clean & dried, contained within the box and clearly separated from the samples themselves.

Once your samples have been collected they will be returned to our labs within 24 hours. A member of our team will be in touch to advise you of their arrival.

If you have any other queries regarding the collection of your samples, please contact us via email logistics@naturemetrics.co.uk or call 0203 876 7350 (option 1).