The great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) is the largest and rarest newt species in Luxembourg and is the only amphibian species, alongside the yellow-bellied toad, listed in Annexes II and IV of the European Habitats Directive. While the great crested newt is relatively widespread in the Gutland, it is extremely rare in the Ösling: its presence is limited to a single, very small population in the far northwest of the country, in the Trëtterbaach basin. The main reason for the absence of the great crested newt in the Ösling is the lack of suitable stagnant water and the loss of existing biotopes.
Due to the small size and isolation of the existing population, protecting the great crested newt in the Ösling region requires preserving and strengthening this population to enable its spread throughout the area. As part of the great crested newt action plan, new stagnant water bodies will be created in the north of the country and existing ponds will be optimized in a first phase. In a second phase, efforts will then be made to connect the newly created aquatic habitats through suitable terrestrial corridors.
