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Lissotriton helveticus - Palmate Newt

Common Toad

Taxonomy

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Caudata

Family: Salamandridae

This is the smallest of the three newt species found in the wild in Britain. (At 6cm in length when fully mature, it is only slightly smaller than the Common Newt.) This little amphibian is tolerant of acid waters and so it is the most common newt species on heath and moorland, where it breeds in shallow ponds and other small waterholes in the springtime.

If you live in an acid soil area and you have a garden pond with shallo, weed-fringed margins, there is a very good chance that this species will move in from the surrounding countryside.

Palmate Newts are reasonably common in Britain, although they are not as plentiful as the Common Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris).

Note the skin between the toes of the Palmate Newt - the feet are rather like palms of the hand, from which this amphibian gets its common name.

The Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus) is the third and least common of Britain's newts. It is now quite rare in many parts of the British Isles and is strictly protected by law.

During the winter months

Palmate Newts emerge from hibernation in March, and they breed soon afterwards. Once they leave the water towards the end of July they feed on worms and other invertebrates, although they do also capture flying insects that have alighted on the waterside vegetation. Towards the end of September, Palmate Newts find dense leaf litter and there they hibernate until the following spring. Apparently able to cope fairly well in dry conditions, Palmate Newts sometimes wander a long way away from any ponds or streams; in contrast, Common Newts tend to turn up nearly always in fairly damp locations.