Palmate newt (lissotriton helveticus)

This is one of the three species of newt which we are lucky enough to have at Scotswood Garden.

It is quite similar to the smooth newt in size and it is tricky to tell the female palmate and smooth newts apart.

However the male is easier to identify. This newt gets its name from the fact that the males develop large webbing on the back feet during the breeding season, palmate, like the palm of your hand. Apparently the larger the webbing, the more attractive they are to female palmate newts! The males also have a filament at the end of its tail.

Like all three newts, it breeds in the pond during the summer months but apart from this, it lives in the habitat around the pond, feeding on small insects, worms, slugs, anything it can find!

The palmate newt is found in upland and heathland areas too.