Prolific female C.orientalis

[Azhael]

I thought my female had stopped laying eggs, she had been laying since late september. Yesterday i was feeding them, and checking for larvae(there are a few grown ones and some smaller ones too), and saw new eggs, actually about 6, and there are more that i don´t see, obviously. The thing is...she´s been laying for two months and a half, and she is clearly still going to lay more. Is this the usual thing? The first time they bred early this year, she only layed for a couple of weeks, and just around 20-25 eggs. This time she has layed a lot more, i don´t know the exact number specially since they have eaten lots of them, but i´ve counted at least 60(they might have eaten another 60, eassily). Why this difference? I would blame it to being young the first time, but she hasn´t grown at all since i got her, so i´m assuming she was a perfectly mature adult. I´m just curious about this, so if anyone has seen this kind of big difference between breedings and have a guess what the reason might be, please tell me.

 

[Jennewt]

Age is one likely factor, as you already noted. How well-fed the newt is during the entire year prior to laying eggs is another factor. Right now she is laying eggs based on how well she ate during all of 2007. Perhaps she ate less in 2006. When did you acquire the newt(s)?

It's not unusual for captive Cynops to lay eggs for half of the year or even longer. Congratulations on having such a healthy specimen!

 

[Azhael]

That makes sense. I acquired them on november 2006, and they bred for the first time on january/february. As a most likely wild caught she must have suffered the bad conditions all these newts do during their shipping, so she wouldn´t be in perfect health when they bred. I´m quite generous with feeding her because she is a pig, so during this year she´s been well fed. Glad to hear when healthy they can lay for a long time, i was just curious since the difference between the first and the last time has been so evident. She sure looks healthy, i´m curious about how long will she keep laying Thanx for your reply.

 

[Azhael]

I thought i might make a little update and say that she´s still at it...and it looks like there´s still a loooot of eggs to come...xDD

 

[Azhael]

So she finally stopped laying eggs one month ago, which makes it officially over 9 months of egg laying Ô_o Something tells me this Fall they´ll go at it again though...the male is already looking interested.