Palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus) are Britain's smallest newt and are often confused with the smooth newt.

Identification
Palmate newts reach approximately 8cm and are brown/grey in colour. They are very similar to smooth newts, and females of both species are hard to tell apart.

Male smooth newts lack the webbed rear feet and tail filament of the palmate newt. They also have a larger crest. Palmate newts frequently have a pinkish throat which rarely has spots (unlike in the smooth newt). Palmate newts are usually more square in cross-section than the smooth newt, which is more rounded.

Male palmate newts differ from females by having a 4-7mm tail filament and having strongly webbed hind feet.

The eggs are grey in colour and are smaller than that of a great crested newt. It is not possible to differentiate between smooth newt and palmate newt eggs.

Ecology
Palmate newts are most successful in nutrient poor environments such as calcareous grassland, heaths and upland areas. They are not as common as the smooth and great crested newts in lowland agricultural landscapes.

Palmate Newts in Buckinghamshire
As stated above, palmate newts tend to be found over chalky or sandy soils. The best places to find palmate newts are on the Greensand Ridge (northeastern Bucks), the Chilterns (southeastern Bucks) and the glacial sands in the south of the county.

Protection
Palmate newts are protected from being traded under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.