Northern crested newt

Triturus cristatus · The northern crested newt is a large newt native to Great Britain, northern and central Europe and parts of Western Siberia.

Also called Great crested newt, Warty newt, Crested newt.

Northern crested newt
Photo: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0
Northern crested newt
Photo: Kryp, CC0
Northern crested newt
Photo: Piet Spaans, CC BY-SA 2.5

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAmphibia
OrderUrodela
FamilySalamandridae
GenusTriturus
SpeciesTriturus cristatus

Where it lives

Ponds and woodland from Britain and France east to the Urals.

Fun facts

  • During breeding season, males grow a jagged crest on their back and tail that can be up to 1.5 cm high.
  • The bright yellow or orange belly is a warning signal: when threatened, the newt rolls up and secretes a milky substance.
  • Wrapping a single egg takes a female around five minutes.
  • Some wild adult newts have lived for up to 17 years, though most live seven to nine.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).