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Garden Amphibian Survey |
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Palmate newt |
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The palmate newt may have been infrequently recorded in garden ponds due to local surveys taking places in localities where this species is naturally scarce. Smooth newts and palmate newts can be difficult to tell apart. It can be helpful to look at the breeding males. In breeding condition the male palmate newt does not develop the crest, which is so apparent in the smooth and great crested newt. It does have ridge running along the back - but perhaps more useful indicators are the tail tip, which ends in a filament, and the hind feet, which are webbed and sooty black in colour. |
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| Female palmate newts can look very similar to female smooth newts. Other than breeding males, it can be difficult to distinguish smooth and palmate newts. So identification is best carried out by focusing on males during the aquatic, breeding phase. | |||
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A good way to find out if you have newts in your pond (assuming that the pond water is reasonably clear!) is to make a visit after dark and carry out an inspection by torchlight. The best time to do this is during the newts' breeding season, roughly, from April to May. Wait until a warm evening and carry out the torchlight search just after dusk. You might be surprised at what you find. Look for males in breeding dress to find out what kind of newts you have. If you've seen a palmate newt in your garden, then please let us know. (Photographs courtesy of Fred Holmes and The HCT.) |
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The palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) has a very similar lifestyle to the smooth newt. 