Lissotriton helveticus
Silhouette: Original foto by Gilles San Martin, modified by Luca Leicht · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) is a species of newt found in Western Europe, from Great Britain to the northern Iberian Peninsula. It is 5–9.5 cm (2.0–3.7 in) long and olive or brown with some dark spots. The underside is yellow to orange, and the throat, unlike in the similar smooth newt, always unspotted. A dark stripe runs along the head and through the eyes. Breeding males develop a distinct filament on the end of their tail, strongly webbed hind feet, and a low, smooth crest on their back.
Habitats include forests, marshes, pastures or gardens. While on land, the newts are mainly nocturnal. After emerging from hibernation in spring, they move to stagnant, fish-free bodies of water for breeding. Following a courtship display, the male deposits a spermatophore that is picked up by the female. Larvae develop over after 1.5–3.5 months before metamorphosing into land-dwelling juveniles (efts). Sexual maturity is reached after two to three years, and the newts can live up to 12 years in the wild. The species is generally common and has been assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
The palmate newt was first scientifically described in 1789 by Russian naturalist... Wikipedia →
Recording0:22
France · 2026
© Erell Olivo · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wildwood Discovery Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Palmate Newt sighting in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, based on 235 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 11 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.
June
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Palmate Newt in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Palmate Newt sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Palmate Newt sightings, Pyrénées National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Picos de Europa National Park (Spain, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Salamandridae
The closest relatives of the Palmate Newt that you can see in Pyrénées National Park (family Salamandridae, True Salamanders and Newts) are Fire Salamander (about 50%) and Pyrenean Brook Salamander (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Palmate Newt is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Pyrénées National Park (235 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.
