Does tank layout influence mating success?

Molch · Feb 24, 2012

So, I'm watching my pyrrhs climb through the canopy and understory of my densely planted tank, all the while courting madly.

This made me wonder: can a densely planted layout with little or no free floor space actually reduce mating success because it may be harder for males to maneuver and females to pick up spermatophores?

Any thoughts/experiences on this?

FrogEyes · Feb 25, 2012

It seems likely to me. A great many salamanders court and mate at times and places where there is a relatively bare bottom and little or no plant growth. Spermatophores are often left on a firm surface where they can easily be found and picked up. The female can then move to more suitable spots to lay. While courting in dense plant growth, it seems the odds of receiving spermatophores would be quite low. On the other hand, if the females are IN the plants, perhaps they are already fertilized and are looking for laying sites?

Molch · Feb 25, 2012

hmm..generally, if the females are folding leaves and laying eggs, would this mean they are fertilized (like, typically)? Or would they start laying at some point just to dump the eggs, whether they are fertilized or not?

methodik · Feb 25, 2012

From personal experiences, I would say no. My setup (for H.orientalis) is heavily planted and I have lots of eggs (most of them eaten, luckily, as I dont know what to do with them). I have also seen my male fanning a lot of times - however, the eggs seem to be fertile. I gave away some batches for free and they all developped - even when I chopped out some plants to put them into a smaller tank for plants only, few days later around 10 larvae were swimming in there...
I will upload + attach a picture later so you can judge on if the tank is "heavily plantede".

Azhael · Feb 25, 2012

It is possible that a female will practice egg laying without actually laying any eggs, and it´s also possible that they´ll lay duds. However, if the males are courting in the pyrrhogaster fashion, i.e. like mad, and the females are fat and practicing i would expect eggs very soon. Even if the first batch is unfertilized there is no reason to despair.

I always make sure to offer some flat, open surface for the newts to court. The males will try anywhere and it´s common to find spermatophores high up in the plants. I´ve never seen a female catch any spermatophore that wasn´t deposited in an adequate surface.

Jennewt · Feb 25, 2012

Like teenagers in the back seat of a car... they will find a way, even if the tank setup doesn't seem ideal for sperm transfer.

Molch · Feb 25, 2012

oookay...here's another stupid question:

I saw one of my pyrrh females with a whitish-cottony small thingy stuck on her cloaca (see pics). I'm thinking that must have been a spermatophore. If so, does that mean a successful mating? Or should the spermatophore be all the way inside the cloaca?

hmm..maybe if I park my old car in the tank, they'll find the back seat?

Jennewt · Feb 26, 2012

That looks like a successful transfer. I think they found the back seat of the car without any help.

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Does tank layout influence mating success?

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