Marbled newt

So… me and Tiago Pereira are definitely heading for Sintra now. Nature photography is such a good and productive way to truly get to know a place. Peninha Mountains are revealing to be truly magical and way richer beyond what I expected. Patches of extremely dense forests fill the valleys, while exposed to wind hills are full of rough patches of vegetation. And these landscapes are surviving remnants, now encircled by Lisbon’s sub-urban areas. Here, I’ve been discovering places and paths that are as immersive as they are dazzling. And, mostly by night, we can feel the deep of the forest come to live with wildlife sounds surrounding us.

I felt very lucky to encounter such a beautiful creature, near a small water tank.

Marbled newt / Tritão-marmoreado (PT) – Triturus marmoratus

About identifying between T. m. marmoratus and T. m. pygmaeus sub-species, I'm using the Guias Fapas. The main visible differences are the continous dark spots, dark belly and skin roughness for marmoratus sub-species.

Sintra, Portugal

2012, June