Neotenic_Jaymes
Active member
First off for people who have researched or have been willing to study Pletodontids in any form or way, we've come across reading about breeding habits and behaviors. Or in the field seeing for ourselves that mothers will guard a nest. There isn't much about information about male Plethodontids and parental behavior or there just isn't any information out there. I have to say that with Aneides lugubris I've seen the father guard the nest and moving the eggs around, repositioning the egg clutch with his head and snout and rubbing his face into the eggs.
I will say I don't exactly know why the pair is constantly repositioning the eggs but I assumed it was to air the eggs out. Even terrestrial eggs can suffer from a lack of oxygen. Even when the eggs were still hanging from the hide the male and female would always rub their faces into the eggs. They could be rubbing secretions onto the eggs or scenting the eggs with their own scent? Aneides Lugubris do have glands on their mouths that are associated with the reception of chemicals. Maybe they're scenting their eggs so they would know which egg clutch is their own since in wild populations multiple pairs have been documented to share one breeding site.
What do you guys think? Watch the video and come up with your own conclusions maybe I missed something that someone may see.
Here is a short video of the male repositioning the fallen egg clutch. He will always be on the left side of the screen and the female will be on the left side at all times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLPkWwIB4eE
I will say I don't exactly know why the pair is constantly repositioning the eggs but I assumed it was to air the eggs out. Even terrestrial eggs can suffer from a lack of oxygen. Even when the eggs were still hanging from the hide the male and female would always rub their faces into the eggs. They could be rubbing secretions onto the eggs or scenting the eggs with their own scent? Aneides Lugubris do have glands on their mouths that are associated with the reception of chemicals. Maybe they're scenting their eggs so they would know which egg clutch is their own since in wild populations multiple pairs have been documented to share one breeding site.
What do you guys think? Watch the video and come up with your own conclusions maybe I missed something that someone may see.
Here is a short video of the male repositioning the fallen egg clutch. He will always be on the left side of the screen and the female will be on the left side at all times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLPkWwIB4eE