Editing Smooth newt (section)

==Habitat and ecology==

[[File:Fosse Houssen Lissotriton vulgaris.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Sunny, water-filled ditch at the edge of a forest| Sun-exposed, stagnant, shallow water bodies with abundant vegetation but without fish, such as this ditch, are typical breeding sites.]]

Mainly a lowland species, the smooth newt is only exceptionally found above {{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{r|Grosse2011|p=78–80}} This species shows a wide [[habitat]] breadth, as it's able to thrive in a wide array of terrestrial and aquatic environments. On land, it occurs in wooded areas (dense [[conifer]] woods are avoided) but also in more open areas such as damp meadows, field edges, parks and gardens. It can also tolerate human disturbance and urban environments. The newts hide under structures such as logs or stones or in small mammal burrows.{{r|1=Grosse2011|p=120–134|2=Kuzmin1999|3=Sparreboom2014|p3=238}} Smooth newts may also climb vegetation, although the exact function of this is not currently known.{{r|LynnAllain2022}}

Freshwater breeding sites are typically sun-exposed, free from fish, stagnant, water-filled permanently or for at least three months of the year, close to similar water bodies, and have shallow areas with abundant water plants. They can range from small puddles to larger [[pond]]s or shallow parts of lakes. Water quality is less important; [[pH]] values from 4 (more acidic) to 9.6 (more alkaline) are tolerated and in Germany, smooth newts have even been found in slightly [[brackish]] water.{{r|Grosse2011|p=121–129}} They often share breeding sites with other amphibians, including other newts; in northern France, ponds with five newt species – smooth, palmate, alpine, northern crested and [[marbled newt|marbled]] (''T. marmoratus'') newt – have been described.{{r|Grosse2011|p=151–152}}