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Smooth Newt
Lissotriton vulgaris
The Smooth Newt is Europe's most widespread and common newt species. Small, agile, and highly active, breeding males develop a beautifully distinct, wavy dorsal crest extending to the tip of their tail.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Salamandridae
Genus:Lissotriton
Species:Lissotriton vulgaris
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
50 - 80 %
Day temperature
15 - 20 °C
Night temperature
10 - 14 °C
Ambient temperature
15 - 20 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widespread across central, northern, and eastern Europe. They inhabit small ponds, garden pools, slow-flowing drainage ditches, and riparian wetlands, moving to terrestrial habitats like woodlands during winter.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Reaches 8–11 cm in total length. Skin is smooth and slimy in the aquatic phase, becoming velvety and drier in the terrestrial phase. Dorsally olive-brown with dark spots; the belly is yellow or orange with a bright orange central stripe and irregular black dots.
Behavior and Habits: Active during the day and twilight. In spring, they enter the aquatic breeding phase. Males perform courtship displays, waving their tails to direct pheromones toward females. In autumn, they transition to land to hibernate.
Morphology: During the breeding season, males develop a prominent, continuous wavy crest along the back and tail, webbed hind feet, and more distinct spotting. Females lack the crest and are generally duller.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: An aqua-terrarium setup (minimum 60x45x30 cm) with a 70% shallow water zone (10–20 cm deep) heavily planted (Elodea, Ceratophyllum) and a 30% damp land area with moss and bark hides is ideal.
Lighting and Heating: Keep at cool temperatures of 15–20°C. High temperatures above 24°C can cause heat stress and skin lesions. A winter brumation at 4–8°C is necessary for health and breeding. Low-output UVB is beneficial.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain land humidity of 70–90%. Land substrate must remain damp under hides. Water must be kept clean, cool, and free of chlorine or heavy metals. Use a low-flow filter.
Feeding and Supplementation: Carnivorous. Feed bloodworms, daphnia, small earthworms, and insect larvae. Dust terrestrial prey items with a calcium and vitamin supplement once a week.
Compatibility: Highly peaceful and gregarious. Can be kept in small groups. Do not house with predatory fish or larger newt species.
Health and Common Diseases: Vulnerable to heat exhaustion and ammonia toxicity. Stagnant conditions can cause fungal skin infections. Handle only when necessary with wet, clean hands.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Widespread across central, northern, and eastern Europe. They inhabit small ponds, garden pools, slow-flowing drainage ditches, and riparian wetlands, moving to terrestrial habitats like woodlands during winter.
Origin
Cosmopolitan or introducedNorth AmericaEurope, Mediterranean, and West Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 11 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 11 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 11 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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