Palmate Newt

The palmate newt is the smallest newt native to western Europe, found from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula east through France and into parts of Germany and the Low Countries. It is plain olive-brown to yellowish above with an unspotted, pale throat that distinguishes it from the similar smooth newt, and breeding males grow webbing between the toes of the hind feet along with a short, thin filament projecting from the tip of the tail. It tolerates more acidic and nutrient-poor water than most other European newts, allowing it to breed successfully in heathland pools, upland bogs, and other habitats too harsh for closely related species. Outside the breeding season it lives on land under stones, logs, and compost heaps, often alongside the species it most closely resembles.