Question: Do female axolotls lay unfertilised eggs regularly?

[kbee]

Hi everyone,
I discovered this forum about a year ago and the info I've found here has been invaluable in helping me raise my now adult axolotls and my first batch of unexpected eggs. Never had a reason to post until now...
My babies are now 8 weeks old. My adults are back in their 4 foot tank - with a divider this time to save me from more eggs! My male has been busy leaving his deposits all over his side of the tank. My female has been 'dancing' for a few days and has deposited a hundred or so eggs on her side.
There is no possible way that the eggs can be fertile!
Is this normal behaviour? Should I expect her to lay unfertilised eggs regularly? It's just got me a little puzzled!
Thanks in advance.

 

[PatchworkClocks]

Female axolotls won't lay unfertilized eggs. This means that she probably picked up spermatophores before you moved her.

 

[kbee]

Thanks for the response Rhiannon.
I do understand the basics of axolotl reproduction, I'm just curious as my male and female have been living seperately for 10 weeks now. They have just been moved back into their shared tank - with a solid divider - and I assume the move has triggered their breeding behaviour (a tank move appeared to be the trigger last time they bred.)
No chance of her eggs being fertile and as she has only laid a small number of eggs, I wondered if anyone else had experienced this? I thought maybe she was responding to pheromones that the male may have released, if they do that?
I just find it interesting!

 

[auntiejude]

Females don't usually 'dance' on their own, it's usually a 2-axie whirl round the tank. She may well have laid just a few unfertilised eggs, they can do that but it's unusual. If they are sharing water and can see each other I guess there may be some pheromones about.

Keep an eye on the eggs, see if they develop. I doubt it, but you never know....

 

[xxianxx]

Females do drop small amounts of infertile eggs occassionally. I cant say I have ever heard of a female laying a full batch without being fertalised. It will be interesting to see if you axolotls have out smarted you and its a fertile batch lol.

 

[kbee]

Thanks for replying. The eggs are definately not fertilised... I'd left them in the tank just to make sure! (They're not developing normally and they were laid over a week ago now.)
She layed about a hundred eggs. It's good to hear that it is unusual behaviour - that's really what I wanted to know. I hadn't heard of this happening before and was wondering whether I needed to forget the divider and move them into seperate tanks.
Thanks again for your input.