Great Crested Newt

The largest representative among the newts in our country, its skin is coarse-grained, while only the larvae have smooth skin. On the top, the animal is colored a dark brown or even grey, whereas its ventral side is a saturated yellow with large black spots. In spring, males develop a serrated skin crest on their back and tail, which may grow up to 10 mm in height (and which withers away at the end of summer). The female grows up to 18 cm tall. The Great Crested Newt’s usual habitat consists of larger and deeper water reservoirs or streams with moderate flow. It feeds on insects and their larvae, aquatic crustaceans, snails, and worms.