Triturus pygmaeus
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The southern marbled newt or pygmy marbled newt (Triturus pygmaeus) is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is found in Portugal and Spain. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, pastureland, rural gardens, water storage areas, ponds, open excavations, irrigated land, canals and ditches. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Previously thought to be a subspecies of the marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus), it was raised to species level after genetic studies revealed its distinctiveness from the former. The southern marbled newt occurs only in southern Portugal and southwestern Spain, in Mediterranean climate. The Douro–Tagus watershed forms a narrow, northern border to the range of Triturus marmoratus. The southern marbled newt is similar in appearance to the marbled newt but is smaller, with adults reaching a total length of 13 centimetres (5.1 in) as against the latter's 17 centimetres (6.7 in). The dorsal surface is yellowish-green heavily mottled with irregular patches of dark brown or black... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badoca Safari Park | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 2 | Zoo de Córdoba | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Marbled Newt sighting in Monfragüe National Park on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 10 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–April and October–November
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Marbled Newt in Monfragüe National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to September, the lowest months. Those are among Monfragüe National Park's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pygmy Marbled Newt sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Pygmy Marbled Newt sightings, Monfragüe National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain, about 10%) and Doñana National Park (Spain, about 10%).
Same family: Salamandridae
The closest relatives of the Pygmy Marbled Newt that you can see in Monfragüe National Park (family Salamandridae, True Salamanders and Newts) are Bosca's newt (about 40%), Spanish Newt (about 30%) and Fire Salamander (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pygmy Marbled Newt is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Monfragüe National Park (55 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
