- Lifespan
- 15–20 years in the wild, occasionally longer in captivity
- Size & Weight
- Males 11–17 cm, females 12–16 cm; typically 3–12 g
- Habitat
- Breeds in deep, fish-free ponds and lakes with good vegetation; terrestrial habitats include woodland, grassland, and hedgerows up to 500 m from breeding sites.
- UK Distribution
- Scattered across England, Wales, and southern Scotland; absent from Ireland. Resident year-round; populations are highly fragmented and declining.
- Diet
- Carnivorous; feeds on aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates including small fish fry, tadpoles, and crustaceans when aquatic; terrestrial insects when on land.
- Prey
- Aquatic insect larvae, small fish, tadpoles (including conspecific), freshwater shrimp, earthworms, slugs
- Predators
- Great crested grebes, cormorants, grey herons, pike, perch, grass snakes, and occasionally foxes and badgers
- Mating Season
- March to July, peaking April to June
- Breeding
- Females lay 200–400 eggs individually wrapped in pond vegetation over several weeks; eggs hatch in 12–19 days at 15–20°C; single brood per year; tadpoles metamorphose after 2–3 months
- Behaviour
- Males develop elaborate crests during breeding season and perform complex courtship displays. Highly aquatic during breeding but terrestrial in winter, hiding in leaf litter and under logs. Adults are largely nocturnal.