# Smooth newt (*Lissotriton vulgaris*)

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

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. 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.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3.1 g |
| Length | up to 11 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 20 years |
| Main food | arthropods, vertebrates |
| Habitat | forest |
| Egg incubation | 10 days – 20 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 300 |
| Age at maturity | 2 years – 3 years |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| 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 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*

## Common questions

### 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

- [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: Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/smooth-newt