# Palmate newt (*Lissotriton helveticus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/palmate-newt  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) is an amphibian in the salamanders and newts subgroup, belonging to the family Salamandridae and subfamily Pleurodelinae. It is a tiny animal, with a representative adult body mass of 1.8 g and a body length of up to 9.5 cm. This nocturnal carnivore eats arthropods and vertebrates and uses aquatic and terrestrial microhabitats. It lays eggs, has a larval stage in its development, and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.8 g |
| Length | up to 9.5 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 11 years |
| Main food | arthropods, vertebrates |
| Habitat | forest |
| Young per litter or clutch | 460 |
| Age at maturity | 2 years – 3 years |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Amphibia
- order: Caudata
- family: Salamandridae
- genus: Lissotriton
- species: *Lissotriton helveticus* (Razoumovsky, 1789)

Synonyms: *Diemictylus palmatus*, *Lacerta helvetica*, *Lacerta paradoxa*, *Lacerta paradoxa var. helvetica*, *Lissotriton helveticus alonsoi*, *Lissotriton helveticus helveticus*, *Lissotriton helveticus punctillatus*, *Lissotriton palmipes*, *Lophinus helveticus*, *Lophinus palmatus*, *Molge palmata*, *Salamandra palmata*, *Salamandra palmipes*, *Triton alonsoi*, *Triton helveticus*, *Triton minor*, *Triton palmatus*, *Triton paradoxus*, *Triturus helveticus*, *Triturus helveticus alonsoi*, *Triturus helveticus helveticus*, *Triturus helveticus punctillatus*, *Triturus helveticus sequeirai*, *Triturus palmatus*, *Triturus palmatus sequeirai*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the palmate newt?

The palmate newt is an amphibian in the salamanders and newts subgroup. It belongs to the order Caudata and the family Salamandridae.

### How big is the palmate newt?

The palmate newt is tiny, with a representative adult body mass of 1.8 g. Its body length is up to 9.5 cm.

### What does the palmate newt eat?

The palmate newt is a carnivore whose main foods are arthropods and vertebrates.

### Is the palmate newt endangered?

No. The palmate newt is listed as Least Concern (LC) in the global IUCN assessment, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does the palmate newt live?

The palmate newt has a lifespan of up to 11 years.

### How does the palmate newt reproduce?

The palmate newt lays eggs and its development includes a larval stage. Its clutch or litter size is given as 460.

### Is the palmate newt nocturnal?

Yes. The palmate newt is nocturnal and uses aquatic and terrestrial microhabitats.

## Sources

- [AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4644424.v5), CC BY 4.0, v1. Oliveira, B.F., São-Pedro, V.A., Santos-Barrera, G., Penone, C. & Costa, G.C. (2017) AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits. Scientific Data 4: 170123. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.123. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4644424.v5
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/palmate-newt