IDENTITY RECORD

Northern crested newt

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Triturus cristatus

DescrIption

I am one of the largest species of French newt, measuring as long as 18 cm. I have a dark brown to black body covered with numerous darker colored spots on my back and a bright yellow underside with distinctive black blotches.

Behavior

Diet

I eat various invertebrates including insects and their larvae, crustaceans and worms.

Reproduction

I breed between April and June. The female lays between 200 and 300 eggs which hatch three weeks later. The larvae stage lasts about 60 days (in water at a temperature of 20°C).

Lifespan

I live for between three and 18 years maximum.

Where and when can you find me in the reserve ?

Habitat

I am the most aquatic species of newt. I can be found all year round in water and I have a fondness for ponds with an abundance of aquatic plants. After the mating season, I frequent meadows and undergrowth where I will look for a site to hibernate—under a stone, inside a trunk, in the forest litter.

When to spot me

I am most easy to spot between March and June during mating season.

Did you know?

The males develop a jagged crest during the breeding season.

Conservation status

• Red list of amphibians in metropolitan France: Near Threatened (NT).
• Red list of endangered amphibians in Alsace: Near Threatened (NT).