Phantom eggs - T.marmoratus

[Mark]

After a winter cooling my T.marmoratus have now been aquatic for a few weeks. The males are fully crested and courting the females, who are in good shape, so I’m hopeful they will breed as they did last year. Over the last week however the females have started laying phantom eggs. A number of leaves had been folded and glued in the normal egg laying fashion but there’s no egg inside, just a small amount of jelly adhesive. Anyone seen this before and what could the purpose be?

 

[Azhael]

Hi Mark. I´ve seen that in eaten eggs...most times the egg is eaten enterily, but sometimes i´ve seen the jelly remain. Maybe it´s that...dunno...

 

[coendeurloo]

I've seen this often with other Triturus species and my C. e. popei group. I predict the real egglaying will start soon, most likely they are just 'practicing'.

 

[Jake]

I've seen all of my adult females marms do it a lot this year. The other day I noticed one of my female Cynops pyrrhogaster laying an egg, but when I looked close at the java moss clump she made, it was exactly how you just described.

 

[Mark]

I guess we can put it down to practicing then. It’s quite a balancing act folding those leaves and squeezing an egg out so who can blame them for having a dry run.

 

[Mark]

Practice time over - although I suspect duds.