Eastern Red Spotted Newt Amplexus Question

[EasternNewtLove]

Alright so my mom noticed two of my newts in amplexus today, and I was wondering:

1. Is there anyway you can tell if she picked up a spermatophore?
2. How long after picking up a spermatophore are eggs laid?
3. Will they attempt amplexus more than once if they were unsuccessful the first time?
4. Is it common for the two to be unsuccessful even if the female is receptive?

Thanks for all the help so far everyone, I would never have gotten this far without all of you!

 

[Azhael]

You can´t really tell unless you see her pick it up. You´ll have to wait to see if she starts laying fertile eggs, that would be a dead give away
The time until laying starts can vary but usually it doesn´t take very long, from 1-2 days to a week (could be more, though).
Sure, the male will continue to amplex her even after a successful event. The female may pickup a handful of spermatophores over the course of a breeding season.
It´s certainly possible. The couple could be interrupted, or the female might miss the spermatophore.

Not to disappoint you, but don´t get too excited. Males readily become in condition and start amplexing away, but females are trickier and if they haven´t been cooled, she may not be ready. If you start to see her practicing egg laying, now that would be cause for more serious excitement.
Anyway, good luck, hopefully there will be eggs soon!

 

[EasternNewtLove]

Thank you for the help. Should I continue to cool the water then? Its been 5 weeks since I began.

 

[Niels D]

I've seen amplexus and spermatophores in my tank for several weeks, but still no eggs. I'll probably have to wait till spring I guess just like last year. Watertemp is 15 C at this moment. Hope you will have better luck!

 

[Kaysie]

These guys are actually pretty hard to breed in captivity. The males always seem willing, and the females will plump up, but it seems like most people have a hard time getting eggs out of them.

 

[Jake]

These guys are actually pretty hard to breed in captivity. The males always seem willing, and the females will plump up, but it seems like most people have a hard time getting eggs out of them.

I thought the same thing for the longest time because I used to always find mine in amplexus and never found eggs. Then one day I was looking through the java moss very closely and realized there were dozens of eggs hidden in it. They were smaller than I would have expected and the females are masters at hiding them. They also seem to like to eat the larvae more than my other newts, even though they were all well fed.

 

[slowfoot]

They are, indeed, voracious egg-predators - especially the ladies, who seem to know all the tricks. I watched a female once very carefully fold an egg into a leaf with her back feet, then turn around, unfold it, and eat the egg.

It also takes about a month to two months after I first see courtship until I start finding eggs. They have to be removed if I want to keep the offspring because the parents love eating larvae almost as much as they love eggs.

 

[Kaysie]

It's like... a perpetual motion machine... only with food! *mindblowing*

 

[EasternNewtLove]

They are, indeed, voracious egg-predators - especially the ladies, who seem to know all the tricks. I watched a female once very carefully fold an egg into a leaf with her back feet, then turn around, unfold it, and eat the egg.

It also takes about a month to two months after I first see courtship until I start finding eggs. They have to be removed if I want to keep the offspring because the parents love eating larvae almost as much as they love eggs.

Why even roll it up then? XD And they are 1.5 mm in diamter about right? Also, How many do they lay on average? And my female is getting very plump. I'm afraid it might be bloat. Do they usually increase in size in the "winter."

 

[Niels D]

Is she still eating normally? I've never seen my animals get plump in autumn/winter.

I only get eggs in spring though I've seen amplexus in autumn many times. Would be great to have eggs twice a year.