Triturus karelinii breeding/courtship

[axolotlfreak56]

So I have a pair of Triturus karelinii. My female is gravid and my male is already in breeding dress and has been attempting to court the female. Tail fanning has been occurring for almost a week now, however the female keeps ignoring him. She even stays towards the surface among the plants and won't bother to come down unless she's going to eat. So I guess my question is, how long does courtship occur and what does it take for courtship to be successful?

 

[Rupert]

Erm... not in the mood?:wacko:

Maybe she already picked up a spermatophore while you weren't looking?

 

[otolith]

Courtship with Triturus can last for months and will often happen at night. I would not be concerned as the females generally take longer than the males to come into condition. In my experience I'll see courtship off and on throughout the entire cooling period and then usually see eggs when the water warms a few degrees up to 60-65F. Last year my marm group laid 600 or so eggs. I only saw the male display a handful of times and I never saw the females look interested so do not despair quite yet. Best of luck with your Karelinii.