Adult and larval body size, age distribution and female fecundity, traits related to fitness in the smooth newtTriturus vulgaris meridionalis, were compared in populations differing in water stability conditions in the area surrounding Rome, near the southern limit of the distribution of this subspecies. Larval body size varied among populations at the end of metamorphosis and was positively related to water stability conditions, which probably led to differences in adult body size. In populations of temporary ponds, age at first breeding was lowered to two years. Traits of female fecundity correlated positively with body size, but not with age. The Italian smooth newt adapted to the unpredictable environment by optimizing reproductive strategies such as the exploitation of the short wet period by means of early deposition of large eggs, which can produce large larvae at metamorphosis.