Amphibians · Caudata · Salamandridae

Smooth Newt

Lissotriton vulgaris

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The smooth newt is the most widespread newt in Europe and one of the most familiar amphibians on the continent. In the breeding season the male grows a wavy dorsal crest and takes on showy colouring, and performs an underwater dance in front of the female in which he fans pheromones towards her with his tail.

Size

7 cm – 11 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestFreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Temperate forest Freshwater Grassland

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Fun facts

The male courts by fanning: he places himself in front of the female and waves his tail folded against his flank, sending her a current of water loaded with pheromones, and only if she responds does he deposit a packet of sperm on the bottom that she picks up with her cloaca.
The female wraps each egg individually by folding an aquatic leaf with her hind feet, a painstaking process she repeats hundreds of times over the season.
It can regenerate whole limbs, its tail, its jaw, heart tissue and even part of its eye, an ability that is intensively studied in regenerative medicine.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Pools, ponds, ditches and wetlands of woodland and countryside of Europe and western Asia
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in pools and ponds
Litter / clutch size: 180

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lissotriton_vulgaris