This is a restricted concept of this species following the split of the broader concept into this and Lissotriton graecus, L. kosswigi and L. lantzi (Dubois and Raffaëlli 2009).

L. schmidtleri, assigned as a separate species by Pabijanet al. 2017 and Wielstra et al. (2018), has been recognized as a subspecies of L. vulgaris by Taxonomic Committee of Societas Europaea Herpetologica, who require more information on contact zones between L. v. schmidtleri and L. v. vulgaris before the species rank of schmidtleri can be accepted, and maintain both L. v. schmidtleri and L. v. lantzi, as subspecies of L. vulgaris (Speybroeck et al. 2020). However, this assessment follows Amphibian Species of the World (Frost 2021) in recognising both L. schmidtleri and L. lantzi as valid species.

Global and European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

This European endemic species is assessed as Least Concern for both Europe and for the EU27 member states in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats and presumed large population.

This species is widespread through most of Europe (with the exception of the Iberian Peninsula, from which it is absent). It ranges from Ireland and Great Britain, through west and Central Europe and Scandinavia, south to Italy, the Balkans, and east through Ukraine and much of the steppes of European Russia. It occurs at elevations from sea level up to 2,150 m asl (Austria).

Following analysis, some subpopulations previously assigned to this species (including those from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece and Türkiye) have now been assigned to Lissotriton graecus, L. kosswigi, L. lantzi and L. schmidtleri (Dubois and Raffaëlli 2009) retained the status of good species (Dubois and Raffaëlli 2009).

This species is very common or numerous over much of its range.

Between 1990–2000, it was found in good numbers in Italy, however it has been observed to have declined and disappeared due to crayfish invasion in the last 10 years in the lowlands of the country (F. Ficetola and R. Manenti pers. comm. September 2019). Due to habitat loss, it has lost 50% of its breeding habitat in the Po Valley, but subpopulations in higher elevations in Italy are not considered to be threatened and are stable at present (F. Ficetola and R. Manenti pers. comm. September 2019). Overall, it may be locally decreasing in this country.

This species is generally associated with woodland habitats, including deciduous, coniferous, mixed forests and dry forests and woodlands. It is an adaptable species also present in meadows, bushlands, parks, fruit gardens, many damp habitats and rural and urban areas. The species breeds by larval development in still and slow moving shallow waters and irrigation ditches; females lay 200–300 eggs. It is often recorded from modified habitats. Several hybrids with Lissotriton helveticus have been reported while hybridisation with L. montandoni is quite common in syntopic populations. In Greece, parts of Bulgaria and Turkish Trace it occurs in small, relatively shallow ponds (up to 100 cm deep), connected to irrigation ditches, with still or very slow moving water and aquatic vegetation included reeds, flooded grass and a small amount of unidentified pond weed (Raxhworthy 1988). Terrestrial habitats include rough grassland, scrub and arable land (Raxhworthy 1988). It is very common among dense filamentous algae in drinking springs near roads (S.N. Litvinchuk and D.V. Skorinov pers. com. October 2022). Marmara region is an important industrial region in Türkiye. This factor affects natural habitats of this species negatively. In Thrace, intensive agricultural chemical use also affect local populations of this species negatively (N. Üzüm and K. Olgun pers. com. December 2022).

There are no major threats to this species. Localised threats include general drainage, degradation of habitat and loss of breeding sites caused by both climate change and human alteration, as well as pollution and eutrophication of breeding sites (Sotiropoulos and Lymberakis 2015, Olgun and Üzüm 2015, Tzankov and Popgeorgiev 2015), destruction of small water bodies in the western Balkans (Crnobrnja-Isailović et al. 2022), logging of forest surrounding breeding pools, the introduction of predatory fishes and collection for the pet trade. A rapid local decline in the abundance due to the intensive growth of the city has been noted in the west of Istanbul, where it was common in the early 2000s (for example, Halkali and Küçükçekmece stations), and now it is extinct (S.N. Litvinchuk pers. com. October 2022). The species has been observed to have declined and undergone local extirpation in Italy due to crayfish invasion (Procambarus clarkii) in the last 10 years in lowland areas of the country (F. Ficetola and R. Manenti pers. comm. September 2019). Introduced fish Perccottus glenii strongly prey tadpoles of this species, causing strong decline in the number of local populations in Russia (Reshetnikov 2001).

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is an emerging fungal pathogen affecting amphibians and is closely related to B. dendrobatidis (Bd), which has had a devastating impact on amphibian populations around the world. Both pathogens cause the infectious disease chytridiomycosis, and both are believed to have originated in Asia (for Bsal: Martel et al. 2014, for Bd: O'Hanlon et al. 2018). While Bd can cause disease in frogs, salamanders and caecilians, Bsal has only been reported to cause disease in salamanders and newts, although the pathogen has been detected in some frog species (Martel et al. 2013). Bd has spread globally, but at present Bsal is only known in Asia and has been introduced to Europe, most likely through the pet trade in salamanders (Martel et al. 2014, Nguyen et al. 2017). Currently in Europe, Bsal has been detected in the wild in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany (e.g. Thein et al. 2020) and Spain (Martel et al. 2020), and has been shown to be highly pathogenic to most urodelan taxa in Europe (Martel et al. 2014). Laboratory trials for susceptibility to Bsal have demonstrated that this species is somewhat susceptible to infection, however, it is thought that it may only suffer from low mortality rates as only one in four individuals died, while three out of four individuals cleared the infection Gilbert et al. 2020, F. Pasmans and A. Martel pers. comm. June 2021). While Bsal is present within this species' range, it is not considered to be a major threat at present. Based on current distribution data for Bsal, it is expected that the natural advancement of the infection could be up to 10 km per year which would result in a conservative advancement of 400–500 km per 50 years. Extinction risk modelling demonstrates that this species will not be at significant risk from the natural spread of the fungus in the next 50 years. However, this does not take into account human-induced introduction of the disease, and should a new outbreak occur within or nearer to this species’ range then it will need to be reassessed.

There is collection of this species for the national and international pet trade in Russia.

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species is presumed to occur in numerous protected areas. It is listed in a number of Red Data Books and Lists and is both listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention and protected by national legislation in parts of its range. In parts of this species' range mitigation measures to reduce road kill have been established.

Conservation Needed
There is also an urgent need for an EU (European Union) wide coordinated approach and implementation of the Bsal Action Plan by Gilbert et al. (2020), which was commissioned by the European Commission.

Research Needed
Details on distribution range and contact zones with newly recognised species (former subspecies) are needed.