Palmate Newt

Lissotriton helveticus

The Palmate Newt is a small, friendly creature that loves to swim and explore ponds. With its bright colors and wiggly tail, it's a fun animal to watch in the water!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Palmate Newt has a slender, brownish body with a yellowish to orange belly, often dotted with small dark spots. Breeding males develop distinct webbed hind feet and a thin filament extending from their tail, making them easily distinguishable from other newt species.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAmphibiaOrderCaudataFamilySalamandridaeGenusLissotriton

Palmate Newt

Interesting facts

Female newts are very careful, laying each tiny egg individually on a leaf.

Males grow special 'palms' on their feet only when they are looking for a mate!

Palmate Newts can live almost their entire life in or very close to water!

They spend cold winters hibernating in cozy log piles or hidden underground!

Special abilities

Palmate Newt can breathe underwater through its permeable skin, helping it absorb oxygen directly from the water.

Palmate Newt has the incredible ability to regrow lost limbs, tails, and even eye parts, helping it survive injuries.

Palmate Newt males grow webbed hind feet and a tail filament during breeding season that helps them swim and attract mates.

Measurements & details

Length: 7-10 cm
Weight: 0.002-0.005 kg
Lifespan: 6-10 years
Top Speed: 0.1 km/h
Clutch Size: 100-400
Metamorphosis: 60-120 days

Diet & Feeding

These newts feast on small insects, larvae, and tiny water creatures like aquatic worms.

Age differences: Larvae eat microscopic aquatic organisms; adults hunt larger invertebrates.

Primary Foods

Insect larvae
Daphnia
Small worms
Slugs
Springtails

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eats

Mosquito Larva

Culex pipiens

A primary food source for newt larvae and adults.

eats

Water Flea

Daphnia magna

Tiny crustaceans, an important food for young newts.

eaten by

Grass Snake

Natrix natrix

An opportunistic predator of adult newts and juveniles.

eaten by

European Perch

Perca fluviatilis

Fish preying on newt larvae and sometimes adults.

Traits

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.