Herptiles

Triturus cristatus

Great Crested Newt

Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768)

Basic info

Common names
  • Great Crested Newt
  • crested newt
Species nameTriturus cristatus
Scientific nameTriturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768)
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Caudata
Salamandridae
Triturus cristatus

Further Reading

Temperatures & Season

Day time temperatures

Background summer18 - 23 °F
Background spring8 - 21 °F
Background winter3 - 8 °F

Night time temperatures

Background summer11 - 14 °F
Background winter11 °F

Season

Winter treatmentcooling
Photoperiod summer14 hours
Photoperiod winter10 hours

Microhabitats

Microhabitats are specific small habitats that an organism inhabits within its broader environment. These can vary greatly depending on the species and can give us insights into the preferred living conditions of each reptile. Understanding these microhabitats can be key to providing the correct care for these animals in captivity.

  • Leaf litter
    Leaf litter
  • Rocks, crevices or burrows
    Rocks, crevices or burrows
  • Riparian or wetlands
    Riparian or wetlands

Ferguson Zones

Ferguson Zones are a way to classify the amount of UV light that reptiles are exposed to in their natural habitats. These zones help us understand and replicate their natural light conditions in captivity, promoting the health and wellbeing of the reptiles. Below, we detail the specific Ferguson Zones of the Chinese Water Dragon, along with recommendations for replicating these conditions

The Ferguson Zone in which the Great Crested Newt has been placed has been chosen based upon an assessment of its typical basking behaviour and likely microhabitat in the wild.

1
Crepuscular or share dweller
UVI range avarage: 0-0.7, UVI max recorded: 0.6-1.4

Recommended lighting methods in captivity

Shade method

This method provides low-level 'background' UV at levels matching the Ferguson Zone Range, over a large portion of the enclosure. The highlighted area in the table below represents this range for the Great Crested Newt.

1
2
3
4
1
2
3

More in-depth information about Ferguson zones can be found here: https://jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150

Community collected distribution (156298 occurrences)

Biomes

These are the biomes the Great Crested Newt was found in. Click here to learn more about terrestrial ecoregions and biomes.

  • Bo
    Boreal Forests/ Taiga

    Click here for more information

  • Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
    Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests

    Click here for more information

  • Te
    Temperate Coniferous Forests

    Click here for more information

  • Temperate Grasslands, Savannas and Shrublands
    Temperate Grasslands, Savannas and Shrublands

    Click here for more information

More species to explore

Fire Salamander

Salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Adder

Vipera berus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Smooth or Common Newt

Lissotriton (Triturus) vulgaris

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References

  1. Baines, F.M., Chattell, J., Dale, J., Garrick, D., Gill, I., Goetz, M., Skelton, T. and Swatman, M. 2016. How much UVB does my reptile need? The UV-Tool, a guide to the selection of UV lighting for reptiles and amphibians in captivity. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. 4, 1 (Jan. 2016), 42–63. DOI:https://doi.org/10.19227/jzar.v4i1.150.
  2. Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org
  3. iNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org
This website is created by Jefrim Keijzer | All species