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A puddle is a very small accumulation of liquid, usually water, on a surface. It can form either by pooling in a depression on the surface, or by surface tension upon a flat surface. Puddles are often characterized by murky water or mud due to the disturbance and dissolving of surrounding sediment, primarily due to precipitation.
A puddle is generally shallow enough to walk through, and too small to traverse with a boat or raft. Small wildlife may be attracted to puddles.
Small wildlife, such as birds and insects, can use puddles as a source of essential moisture or for bathing. Raised constructed puddles, , are a part of domestic and as a garden ornament and "micro-habitat" restoration. use the damp loam which gathers in puddles as a form of cement to help to build their nests. Many butterfly species and some other insects, but particularly male butterflies, need puddles for they can contain, such as salts and . In a behaviour known as Mud-puddling they seek out the damp mud that can be found around the edge of the puddles.Adler, P.H. and Pearson, D.L. (1982) "Why do male butterflies visit mud puddles?". Canadian Journal of Zoology, 60 (3): 322–325.
For some smaller forms of life, such as tadpoles or mosquito larvae, a puddle can form an entire habitat. Puddles that do not evaporate quickly can become standing water, which can become pollution by decaying organisms and are often home to breeding , which can act as vectors for diseases such as malaria and, of more recent concern in certain areas of the world, West Nile virus.
Puddles commonly form in potholes in a dirt road, or in any other space with a shallow depression and dirt. In such cases, these are sometimes referred to as mud puddles, because mud tends to form in the bottoms, resulting in dirtied wheels or boots when disturbed.
In order to deal with puddles, roads and pavements are often built with a camber (technically called 'crowning'), being slightly in nature, to force puddles to drain into the gutter, which has storm drain grates to allow the water to drain into the sewers. In addition, some surfaces are made to be porous, allowing the water to drain through the surface to the aquifer below.
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