British newts: an identification guide

The UK has three native species of newt. They can be tricky to spot and harder still to tell apart, but with a little detective work it's possible to narrow them down.

Read on to learn how to tell the difference between smooth newts, great crested newts and palmate newts with our quick and easy identification guide.

Appearance

Both male and female smooth newts are brown in colour with spotty, orange bellies. These black spots extend up the throat. During the breeding season, males have a wavy crest along their backs. Adult smooth newts can reach up to 10cm long from nose to tail.

Newt larvae develop their front legs first and have feathery external gills behind their heads. 

Where do smooth newts live?

Also known as the common newt, this species lives up to its name. Smooth newts are widespread across the UK and are often found in garden ponds. They are absent from the Isle of Man and some Scottish islands.

What do smooth newts eat?

Frog tadpoles are on the menu, as well as water and land invertebrates.

Lifecycle

During the breeding season, adult smooth newts can be found in ponds where they spawn. Eggs are laid individually and each wrapped in the leaves of pond plants.

In late summer, juvenile and adult newts both leave the water. They can often be found sheltering in damp soil beneath logs and rocks.

Appearance

Also living up to their name, great crested newts are the UK's largest newt species. Adults can reach up to 17cm in length, with females growing larger than males.

Great crested newts are much darker in colour than other newt species, with bumpy skin. Both males and females have bright orange bellies with large, blotchy dark spots. During the breeding season, males sport a toothed crest along their backs. Their tails also take on a white stripe towards the tip.

Great crested newt larvae have a fine filament at the tip of their tail and are covered in black speckles.  

Where do great crested newts live?

Great crested newts are found across England, mainland Scotland and Wales but are absent from Ireland, the Isle of Man and some Scottish islands. The population has declined and its range has shrunk in recent decades. The species and its habitat is strongly protected by law. 

Watch out for great crested newts rising to the surface of ponds to take a nip of air before darting back down again. 

What do great crested newts eat?

Great crested newts are voracious predators of tadpoles, as well as aquatic and land invertebrates such as snails and worms.

Lifecycle

Like all amphibians, these newts take to the water to reproduce. The great crested newt breeding season is between March and June. Males display to potential mates using their flattened tails in underwater courtship dances. Females then wrap their eggs in pond plants. 

Appearance

Palmate newts and smooth newts are very similar in colour and size. Unlike smooth newts, palmate newts lack spots on their throats, which are pink or yellow in colour.

Male palmate newts have distinctive black webbing on their back feet and a thin filament at the end of their tails during the breeding season. As the UK's smallest newt species, adults can reach up to 9cm in length. 

Where do palmate newts live?

Palmate newts have a patchy distribution in the UK. They are absent from Ireland, the Isle of Man and some Scottish islands, and are less common in central England than other newts.

Look for them in shallow ponds in acidic habitats such as heathland and bog. They can often be found further from water than other newt species after the breeding season. 

What do palmate newts eat?

Tadpoles and invertebrates are on the menu for palmate newts, and they will sometimes eat others of their own species. Their sticky tongues help them capture prey.

Lifecycle

Palmate newts take to the water between February and July to breed, then move onto land. They are most active at night. They overwinter from November underground in damp soil, often beneath logs, stone walls and plant roots.

This blog was originally published on 19 February 2020, and was last updated on 6 August 2026 to include new information.