- Lifespan
- 8–15 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 7–9 cm body length; 2–4 g
- Habitat
- Small ponds, ditches, and shallow water bodies with abundant vegetation, particularly in acidic or neutral water in upland and moorland areas.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout much of the UK, particularly in Wales, northern England, Scotland, and south-west England; largely absent from south-east England. Year-round resident; aquatic in breeding season (spring/summer), terrestrial in autumn/winter.
- Diet
- Small aquatic invertebrates including water fleas, small insects, and aquatic larvae; also terrestrial invertebrates when on land.
- Prey
- Daphnia, mosquito larvae, small aquatic insects, and other small crustaceans and invertebrates
- Predators
- Great crested grebes, herons, pike, dragonfly nymphs, grass snakes, and ground beetles
- Mating Season
- March to June
- Breeding
- Females lay 100–300 eggs singly on aquatic vegetation over several weeks; eggs hatch in 2–4 weeks depending on temperature; one brood per year.
- Behaviour
- Males develop prominent jagged crests and filaments on the tail during breeding season. Largely nocturnal and secretive. They hibernate on land during winter, returning to water in spring to breed.