Editing Palmate newt (section)

==Lifecycle and reproduction==

[[File:Palmate newt larva.jpg|thumb|alt=Larva with fore- and hind legs seen from above, next to a British penny|Larva with fore- and hind legs developed, with a [[Penny (British decimal coin)|British penny]] (20.3 mm) for scale]]

[[File:Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus) juvenile (13538226244).jpg|thumb|alt=Small brown newt with orange stripe on back, on moss|Juvenile ([[eft]]) after the transition to land]]

The reproductive period usually extends from February to May, but can start earlier or last longer in the southern range on the Iberian Peninsula, depending on elevation.{{r|VanderMeijden2000}} The newts can use [[magnetoreception]] over larger distances and the calls of frogs over shorter distances to find their breeding ponds.{{r|Diego-RasillaLuengo2008}} Once in the water, they are active during day and night.{{r|VanderMeijden2000}} Breeding involves a ritualised [[courtship display]] as in other closely related newts: The male attempts to attract a female by swimming in front of her and sniffing her cloaca. He then vibrates his tail against his body, sometimes lashing it (but less violently than in the smooth newt), thereby fanning pheromones towards her. In the final phase, its a packet of sperm (a spermatophore). He then guides her over the spermatophore so she picks it up with her cloaca.{{r|Sparreboom2014|p=225}}

The females lays 150–440 eggs individually on water plants. These are 1.3–1.8&nbsp;mm in diameter (2.2–3&nbsp;mm with capsule) and very similar to those of the smooth newt. [[Larva]]e hatch after 8–21 days, depending on temperature, at a size of 8–14&nbsp;mm. The young larvae are yellow–brown, with two black stripes, and have two appendages (balancers) on the sides of the head, which are later resorbed. The colour then becomes more cryptic, and the larvae grow to {{convert|3–4|cm|in|abbr=on}}. As they grow, their characteristics are affected by their environment. Specifically, in response to chemical cues from predatory [[dragonfly]] larvae, larval newts develop larger heads and tails, and develop darker tail pigmentation. Additionally, dragonflies were more likely to prey on newts without such changes, which may be because a larger tail size facilitates newt predator escape behavior.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Van Buskirk |first1=Josh |last2=Schmidt |first2=Benedikt R. |date=2000 |title=Predator-Induced Phenotypic Plasticity in Larval Newts: Trade-Offs, Selection, and Variation in Nature |journal=Ecology |volume=81 |issue=11 |pages=3009–3028 |doi=10.2307/177397 |jstor=177397 |issn=0012-9658|url=https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/321/9/Schmidt_Ecology-V.pdf }}</ref> They [[metamorphosis|metamorphose]] into land-dwelling juveniles ([[eft]]s) after 1.5–3.5 months, but some larvae instead overwinter in water. [[Paedomorphism]], where adults keep their gills and stay aquatic, is also known.{{r|1=VanderMeijden2000|2=Sparreboom2014|p2=224–225}}

The young efts live on land until maturity, which is reached in the second or third year. Activity on land occurs mainly during humid nights. The palmate newt usually [[hibernate]]s on land but sometimes in the water, and in the Iberian peninsula, it is often active year-round. Larvae, efts and adults mainly feed on various [[invertebrates]], but cannibalism also occurs, mainly by larvae preying on eggs. An age of up to 12 years can be reached in the wild.{{r|1=VanderMeijden2000|2=Sparreboom2014|p2=224–225}}