Smooth newt
Lissotriton vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
The smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) is an amphibian in the salamanders and newts group, belonging to the family Salamandridae and the subfamily Pleurodelinae. It is a tiny species, with an adult body mass of 3.1 g and a body length of up to 11 cm.
Quick facts about the smooth newt
A terrestrial, cathemeral carnivore, its main foods are arthropods and vertebrates. It lays eggs, with 300 eggs per clutch, develops through a larval stage, lives up to 20 years and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
- Weight
- 3.1 gsrc for Weight
- Length
- up to 11 cmsrc for Length
- Lifespan
- up to 20 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Diet
- Carnivoresrc for Diet
- Main food
- arthropods, vertebratessrc for Main food
- Habitat
- forestsrc for Habitat
- Egg incubation
- 10 days – 20 dayssrc for Egg incubation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 300src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 2 years – 3 yearssrc for Age at maturity
- Reproduction
- Eggssrc for Reproduction
- Active
- Day and night (cathemeral)src for Active
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the smooth newt
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the smooth newt live?
Not recorded
What is the smooth newt?
The smooth newt, European newt, northern smooth newt or common newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) is a species of newt. It is widespread in Europe and parts of Asia, and has also been introduced to Australia. Individuals are brown with a spotted underside that ranges in colour from orange to white. They reach an average length of 8–11 cm (3.1–4.3 in), with males being larger than females. The newts' skins are dry and velvety when they are living on land, but become smooth when they migrate into the water to breed. Males develop a more vivid colour pattern and a conspicuous skin seam (crest) on their back during the breeding season.
The smooth newt was originally described by Carl Linnaeus as a lizard, and was then given different genus names before being classified as a member of Lissotriton. There are currently three accepted subspecies of smooth newt. Formerly, there were also four subspecies—all with more restricted ranges that are now classified as separate species, because they have been found to be distinct genetically as well as in appearance: the Caucasian smooth newt, the Greek smooth newt, Kosswig's smooth newt and Schmidtler's smooth newt. Together with these four species and the Carpathian newt, the smooth newt forms what is known as a species complex: some of the species hybridise with each other.
For most of the year, smooth newts live on land, are mostly nocturnal, and hide during the day. They can adapt to a wide range of natural or semi-natural habitats, from forests at field edges to parks and gardens. Their diet consists mainly of invertebrates such as insects and earthworms and they are mainly preyed upon by fish, birds and snakes. Between spring and summer, they breed in ponds or similar bodies of water. Males court females with a ritualised underwater display. Females lay their eggs on water plants, and larvae hatch after 10 to 20 days. The larvae develop for around three months before metamorphosing into terrestrial juveniles, at which point they become known as efts. They reach maturity after two to three years, and the adults live for up to 14 years.
The smooth newt is abundant over much of its range and is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, it has been negatively affected by habitat destruction and fragmentation, as well as the introduction of new species of fish. Like other European amphibians, the smooth newt has now been listed as a protected species by the Berne Convention.
From the Wikipedia article “Smooth newt” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smooth_newt&oldid=1381185523), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the smooth newt endangered?
The smooth newt is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the smooth newt classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classAmphibia
- orderCaudata
- familySalamandridae
- genusLissotriton
- SpeciesLissotriton vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Gecko aquaticus, Gecko triton, Gekko triedrus, Hydromantes genei ferrugineus, Lacerta americana, Lacerta aquatica, Lacerta palustris, Lacerta taeniata, Lacerta triton, Lacerta vulgaris, Lissotriton lantzi, Lissotriton meridionalis, Lissotriton punctatus, Lissotriton schmidtleri, Lissotriton vulgaris lantzi, Lophinus punctatus, Lophinus vulgaris, Molge cinerea, Molge italica molisana, Molge palustris, Molge punctata, Molge taeniata, Molge vulgaris, Molge vulgaris, Molge vulgaris kammereri, Molge vulgaris lantzi, Molge vulgaris meridionalis, Molge vulgaris vulgaris, Pyronicia punctata, Salamanda lacepedii, Salamandra abdominalis, Salamandra elegans, Salamandra exigua, Salamandra lacepedii, Salamandra palustris, Salamandra punctata, Salamandra taeniata, Spelerpes ferrugineus, Triton abdominalis, Triton aquaticus, Triton exiguus, Triton hoffmanni, Triton intermedius, Triton laevis, Triton lobatus, Triton meridionalis, Triton palustris, Triton parisinus, Triton punctata, Triton punctatus, Triton taeniatus, Triton taeniatus orientalis, Triton vulgaris, Triton vulgaris f. lantzi, Triton vulgaris lantzi, Triton vulgaris meridionalis, Triturus vulgaris, Triturus vulgaris ampelensis, Triturus vulgaris borealis, Triturus vulgaris boulengeri, Triturus vulgaris kapelanus, Triturus vulgaris lantzi, Triturus vulgaris meridionalis, Triturus vulgaris schmidtleri, Triturus vulgaris schmidtlerorum, Triturus vulgaris tataiensis, Triturus vulgaris vulgaris
Other names and names in other languages (58)
- Common newtEnglish
- Greek newtEnglish
- Southern smooth newtEnglish
- Adi tritonAzerbaijani
- Трытон звычайныBelarusian
- Обикновен тритонBulgarian
- Малък гребенест тритонBulgarian
- čolek obecnýCzech
- Madfall Ddŵr GyffredinWelsh
- Madfallod Dwr CyffredinWelsh
- Lille vandsalamanderDanish
- TeichmolchGerman
- Κοινός ΤρίτωναςGreek
- Tritón ComúnSpanish
- Tritón punteadoSpanish
- TähnikvesilikEstonian
- manteriFinnish
- vesiliskoFinnish
- Triton lobéFrench
- Trition Ponctué EuropéenFrench
- Triton communFrench
- Triton ponctuéFrench
- Triton ponctué (Le)French
- Triton vulgaireFrench
- dearc-luachrach mhìnScottish Gaelic
- dearcan-luachrach mìnScottish Gaelic
- Mali vodenjakCroatian
- Pettyes gőteHungarian
- Սովորական տրիտոնArmenian
- Tritone PunteggiatoItalian
- Tritone punteggiato italianoItalian
- Tritone punteggiato meridionaleItalian
- スベイモリJapanese
- 미끈영원Korean
- Paprastasis TritonasLithuanian
- Mazais tritonsLatvian
- Обичен мрморецMacedonian
- småsalamanderNorwegian Bokmål
- Kleine watersalamanderDutch
- Traszka zwyczajnaPolish
- Traszka ZwyczajnanPolish
- Tritão-comumPortuguese
- Triton comunRomanian
- Обыкновенный тритонRussian
- Тритон обыкновенныйRussian
- Obyknovennyi TritonRussian
- unna cáhcelakkášNorthern Sami
- unna seaibecuppošNorthern Sami
- Mlok bodkovanýSlovak
- Navadni pupekSlovenian
- Обични мрмољакSerbian
- Obični mrmoljakSerbian
- mindre vattenödlaSwedish
- mindre vattensalamanderSwedish
- Küçük SemenderTurkish
- Тритон звичайнийUkrainian
- Klêen woatersalamanderWest Flemish
- 歐洲蠑螈Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the smooth newt
Other species in the same genus Lissotriton.
Palmate newt
Lissotriton helveticus
Bosca's newt
Lissotriton boscai
Carpathian newt
Lissotriton montandoni
Italian newt
Lissotriton italicus
Greek newt
Lissotriton graecus
Algarve newt
Lissotriton maltzani
CompareSmooth newt vs Palmate newtSmooth newt vs Bosca's newtSmooth newt vs Carpathian newtSmooth newt vs Italian newt
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the smooth newt?
The smooth newt is an amphibian in the salamanders and newts group. It belongs to the order Caudata and the family Salamandridae.
How big is the smooth newt?
The smooth newt is tiny, with an adult body mass of 3.1 g and a body length of up to 11 cm.
What does the smooth newt eat?
The smooth newt is a carnivore. Its main foods are arthropods and vertebrates.
Is the smooth newt endangered?
No. The smooth newt is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.
How long does the smooth newt live?
The smooth newt lives up to 20 years.
How many eggs does the smooth newt lay?
The smooth newt lays 300 eggs per clutch, and its young develop through a larval stage.
What are other names for the smooth newt?
The smooth newt is also called the Greek newt, Common newt and Southern smooth newt.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits · 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 · 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 · 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 · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · 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).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/smooth-newt
“Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/smooth-newt.
@misc{smooth_newt_2026,
title = {Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/smooth-newt},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}