Editing Palmate newt (section)

==Distribution and habitats==

[[File:Etang_Herzog_Husseren.jpg|thumb|alt=Shady pond in forest|Forest pond, breeding site for the palmate and the [[alpine newt]]]]

The palmate newt occurs in Western Europe, from Great Britain (up to Scotland) to northern Portugal and Spain. In the east, it ranges to the [[Elbe]] river in Germany and the Czech Republic and the lower and mid [[Alps]] in Switzerland. It is most common from {{convert|500–1500|m|ft|abbr=on}} elevation, but can be found from sea level up to {{convert|2500|m|ft|abbr=on}} (in the [[Pyrenees]]).{{r|1=VanderMeijden2000|2=Sparreboom2014|p2=224}} Genetic analyses by Recuero and García-París suggest that the species was confined to the Iberian Peninsula during the [[Last Glacial Maximum]] and then expanded its range north of the Pyrenees.{{r|RecueroGarcía-París2011}}

They have recently been discovered in South Western Ireland, though it is unclear yet whether they are native or an introduced species.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 17, 2024 |title=Newt species is new for Ireland |url=https://www.birdguides.com/news/newt-species-is-new-for-ireland/}}</ref>

Common over most of its range, the palmate newt is found in a variety of [[habitat]]s, including forest, marshes and pasture.{{r|1=VanderMeijden2000|2=Sparreboom2014|p2=224–225}} It is less abundant in cultivated areas, but can adapt to gardens.{{r|1=iucn|2=Raffaelli2007}} For reproduction, the newts accept different types of stagnant water bodies, preferably fish-free; acidic ponds are well tolerated.{{r|1=VanderMeijden2000|2=Sparreboom2014|p2=224–225}} The smooth newt occurs over much of the same area, but in France appears to prefer ponds in open land, while the palmate newt prefers forest ponds; [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrids]] between the two species are rare.{{r|Sparreboom2014|p2=225}}