Triturus cristatus tail fanning?

[jewett]

I recently obtained an adult male Tc (someone was selling him in my local classifieds - came from a "breeder" in Pennsylvania at a reptile expo). He seems to be doing well in the ~6 weeks I have had him - eating well and developing a beautiful tail sheen and crest. But twice in the last few days I have noticed him tail fanning. I also have an adult female Pachytriton labiatus (in another tank of course by herself) and she tail fans all the time despite the fact that she has no tank mates. Has anyone else noticed this sort of behavior in their Tc's? All my other newts are in tanks with companions so it does not surprise me that they tail fan, and I have heard of others whose Pachy's also fan even though they are isolated. The Tc is "neighbors" with a tank full of Mesotriton apuanus and I wondered if he could see them and that is what instigated his fanning. Any one have any comments?
Thanks,
Heather

 

[Jake]

I keep all of my Triturus on the same shelf and a lot of the males will fan at neighbors. I've seen my paddletails do it when they're housed alone too. Maybe they're somehow marking their territory with hormones? My T.marmoratus males could be in a tank with a few females and still tail fan in an area of the tank with no females. I've even seen several of my Pseudotriton ruber tail fanning, apparently at nothing.